Ayodhya gears up for Bhoomi Pujan, Raj Thackeray says it isn't required amid pandemic

Raj Thackeray, the MNS chief, has just said that the bhoomi pujan ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is ‘not required, and could be done at a later date. He also criticized the state’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and called for resumption of economic activities

On Friday, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said that the ‘bhoomi pujan’ ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on 5th August, is not required amid the COVID-19 pandemic and could be organised at alter date, when the situation is better

He rejected calls for a e-bhoomi pujan, and stated that the celebrations should be held with great enthusiasm and vigour, whenever possible.

Speaking to a Marathi news channel, he said “The bhoomi pujan is not required at this time as people are in a different mindset right now. It could have been held after two months when things normalise. People would have enjoyed the ceremony then.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Ayodhya on August 5 for the bhoomi pujan ceremony, according to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust.

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The MNS chief disapproved of the state’s response to the pandmeic, as well, and said, “It is important to help people come out of this fear. The restrictions imposed by the state government, news on TV channels and messages on WhatsApp have all led to a kind of chaos. You need to make people feel relaxed,” Thackeray added.

Expressing concerns over the financial and economic downturn, Thackeray called for resumption of economic activities.

Speaking about his cousin Uddhav Thackeray’s job as CM, the he said he had seen the him “only on TV”, and that he could not see his work in the last four-and-a-half to five months.

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