Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti on Monday said she will be staying away from the Ayodhya Bhoomi Poojan due to the coronavirus pandemic situation. She said she is worried about the health of Prime Minister Modi and others who will be present at the ceremony and hence will distance herself.
The BJP stalwart was invited to the event, but has decided to stay away due to the coronavirus pandemic. She said she has informed the senior officials on the event as well as the PMO to keep her name out of the guest list.
Uma Bharti said she will travel to Ayodhya but will avoid the event on Wednesday.
In a series of tweets, Uma Bharti said she felt worried about attending the ceremony after she heard the news of Home Minister Amit Shah testing positive for the novel coronavirus.
“When I heard about Amit Shah and other BJP leaders testing positive for coronavirus, I was worried about those attending the Ayodhya event, especially PM Modi,” Uma Bharti tweeted.
The senior BJP leader said she has taken the decision to avoid the event to protect the Prime Minister and the others who will be present there. She said during the Bhoomi Pujan she would be at another spot on the banks of the river Saryu.
“I will leave Bhopal this evening and until I reach Ayodhya tomorrow evening, I may be exposed to the infection. In this situation, I will stay away from the place where PM Modi and others will be present. I will reach there only after everyone has left the spot,” she added in another tweet.
The ‘bhumi pujan for the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya is only a few days away, and despite the temple trust’s decision to cap the limit of invitees at 170-180 and its appeal to followers not to rush to the site because of the coronavirus situation, many have expressed fears of overcrowding at the event, leading to a further spread in infections.
Apart from PM Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Nritya Gopal Das, chief of Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas, will be present on the stage along with two other dignitaries. No other leader or saint will be present on the stage for the ceremony.
The August 5 event at Ayodhya will mark the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Ram Mandir is being eagerly awaited by followers across the country.
