‘Privileged’: PM Modi on being invited to Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir consecration ritual
‘Privileged’: PM Modi on being invited to Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir consecration ritual
During his visit to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh’s Chitrakoot, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was on the verge of completion and that he felt it was a great privilege for him to receive an invitation for the consecration ritual of the temple.
Speaking at a public event at Tulsi Peeth of Jagadguru Rambhadracharya, PM Modi said that “in the thousand years of slavery, various attempts were made to uproot India in different ways” and one of these was the “complete destruction of Sanskrit”.
“Though we gained independence, some individuals still harbour antipathy towards Sanskrit. If someone discovers a forgotten language script, such people celebrate it, but they do not respect Sanskrit, which has existed for thousands of years. If people in other countries know their mother tongue, they appreciate it, but these individuals consider knowing Sanskrit as a sign of backwardness,” PM Modi said.
The prime minister added that “those with this mind-set have been losing for the past thousand years and will not succeed in the future also”. “Sanskrit is not just a language of traditions; it is also a language of our progress and identity,” he said.
The PM also praised Hindu spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya, who was present at the event for his contribution to Ram Mandir. “The Ram Temple for which you have contributed so much is on the verge of completion. Just two days ago, I received an invitation to participate in the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya. I consider it a great privilege,” PM Modi said.
This is PM Modi’s second visit to the poll-bound state in five days, following a trip to Gwalior, and the fourth in less than a month.
The prime minister has been making frequent visits to the state to boost BJP’s prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections, where the party is hopeful of beating a strong anti-incumbency wave against the ruling BJP government.