Wait for Ram Temple has been worthwhile, says BJP leader LK Advani ahead of bhoomi poojan

On the eve of Ram Mandir bhoomi poojan, veteran BJP leader LK Advani, who became the face of temple movement, said it is a historic and an emotional day for him and for all Indians, as he recalled the "pivotal duty" he performed in carrying out the Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya in 1990. Advani said that Ram occupies an esteemed place in India's cultural and civilisational heritage and is an embodiment of grace, dignity and decorum.

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"I am humbled that during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, destiny made me perform a pivotal duty in the form of the Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya in 1990, which helped galvanise the aspirations, energies and passions of its countless participants," he said.

The construction of the Ram temple will begin nearly three decades after Advani undertook his yatra. He said, "Sometimes significant dreams in one's life take a long time to fruition, but when they are finally realised, the wait becomes very worthwhile."

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Advani is considered a key figure in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, as he had undertaken the " Ram Rath Yatra" in 1990 as the then BJP president to mobilise the masses for building a Ram temple at the Ayodhya site where believers hold that Lord Ram was born.

The 92-year-old BJP leader, however, is not among the invitees for the ground-breaking ceremony of the temple by Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to his advanced age amid concerns over the spread of COVID-19 epidemic.

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"One such dream, close to my heart is now getting fulfilled... A grand mandir for Shri Ram at Ram Janmabhoomi has been a desire and mission for the Bharatiya Janata Party," he said.

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The Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute was resolved in 2019 after the Supreme Court gave a go-ahead for a temple to be built by a specially appointed trust. The Centre was asked to give Muslims land elsewhere in Ayodhya for a mosque.

(With PTI inputs)

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