Ram temple construction likely to start next month: Trust chief's spokesperson

Ayodhya, July 16: The construction of the Ram temple here is likely to start next month and the temple trust president has sent an invite to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grace the occasion of its foundation stone laying ceremony, said Ayodhya seers on Thursday.

A tentative programme for the construction of the temple is likely to be decided in the meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust here on Saturday, they said.

“Trust’s president Nritya Gopal Das has sent a letter to the prime minister, inviting him to conduct the Bhumi Pujan of Ram Mandir on the occasion of its foundation laying ceremony,” said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, the official spokesperson of the Trust president.

There is, however, no clarity as of now on prime minister’s presence on the occasion, he said, adding a clearer picture is likely to emerge after the July 18 meeting. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat too is expected to be present during the Bhumi Pujan, he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi’s former principal secretary Nripendra Mishra, also the chairman of the construction committee of the temple trust, visited Ayodhya on Thursday along with BSF’s former director general K K Sharma, the security adviser of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, and met various members of the Ram Temple Trust, set up as per the directions of the apex court.

The meeting was held in the presence of various local authorities at the Circuit House here and attended by trust secretary Champat Rai and members Anil Mishra and Bimlendra Mishra among others. Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and member Mahant Dinendra Das, who live in Ayodhya itself, however, were not present in the meeting.