Iqbal Ansari, a litigant in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, on Friday, received an invitation to the Ram temple consecration ceremony on January 22 in Ayodhya. The invitation was delivered to him at his house located in Kotia Panjitola near the Ram Path.
On behalf of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, workers of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) handed him the invitation card.
#WATCH | Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh | Former litigant in the Ayodhya land dispute case, Iqbal Ansari received an invitation to the ‘Pranpratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Temple scheduled for January 22. On behalf of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, workers of RSS handed him the invitation… pic.twitter.com/USD3hB1ba7— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2024
Asserting that Ayodhya is the land of Hindu-Muslim-Sikh-Christian, he said that harmony will remain intact in the state. “The Supreme Court gave the verdict and Muslims across the country respected it. There were no protests or demonstrations anywhere in the country. People of Ayodhya are happy, I am happy too,” said Ansari while speaking to reporters after accepting the invitation.
#WATCH | Iqbal Ansari says, “…I am happy that the idol of Lord Ram is going to be installed…Ayodhya is the land of Hindu-Muslim-Sikh-Christian harmony. It will always remain intact…The Supreme Court gave a verdict and the Muslims across the country respected it. There was… https://t.co/M6sCQlOjR5 pic.twitter.com/pPMa5JKRMR— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2024
He was also among the hundreds who gathered and welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ayodhya on December 30, when PM Modi inaugurated a redeveloped railway station and a newly built airport, besides laying the foundation stone of a slew of other projects in Uttar Pradesh.
“He (Modi) has come to our place. He is our guest and our Prime Minister,” said Iqbal after he showered rose petals on Modi’s cavalcade as it passed the Paanji Tola area during his roadshow in the temple town.
Ansari has been a significant proponent of the Babri Masjid and was also invited to the Ram Mandir’s ‘bhoomipujan‘ ceremony on August 5, 2020.
During the bhoomi pujan ceremony, he said, “There is a Ganga-Jamuni-Tehzeeb in Ayodhya, and all religions are equally respected here. Maybe, it was the wish of Lord Ram that is why I have been invited to the event. There is no difference between the Hindus and Muslims residing in Ayodhya. The matter has now been resolved by the Supreme Court.”
His father Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant in the land dispute case, died at the age of 95 in 2016, after which Iqbal started pursuing the case in court.
More than a lakh devotees are expected to descend on the temple town on the occasion of ‘pran pratishtha’ on January 22. According to sources, the invitee list has around 7,000 guests from India and abroad.
(with PTI inputs)
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