Priest, 16 Cops Involved In Ayodhya Bhumi Pujan of Ram Temple Tested COVID-19 Positive

Throwing a spanner to the preparations of the Bhoomi Pujan of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, a priest and 16 policemen on duty at Ayodhya, where the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram Temple is expected to be held on August 5, have tested positive for coronavirus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the ground-breaking ceremony at the site where Lord Ram is believed to have taken birth.

Pradeep Das, the assistant to the chief priest confirmed to the media that he had tested positive for coronavirus. Also, the temple trust has confirmed that 16 policemen who tested positive were engaged in security duties at the Ram Janma bhoomi complex. The programme, nevertheless, might be held as deliberate, sustaining all the security guidelines for coronavirus. They requested devotees to participate in the ceremony by lighting diyas at their homes in the evening.

In Ayodhya, elaborate preparations are being planned for the three-day Vedic rituals at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, together with a helipad for the Prime Minister three km from the temple. Graffiti work depicting the life of Lord Ram has been put up alongside the highway. Also, the clothes of Ram Lalla event will be decided by Satyendra Das, chief priest of the temple.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reportedly place a silver brick at the foundation site of the majestic Ram Mandir during the BhoomiPujan ceremony. As per reports, the silver brick weighs 22.6 kg and costs around ₹15,59,000. Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust urges all Shri Rambhakts not to get anxious to reach Ayodhya, and instead, watch the live broadcast of the Pujan on Doordarshan from their homes, one of the tweets read. The Trust has decided to get the entire Ram Janmabhoomi campus sanitised on a daily basis.

Along with the PM, a host of BJP and RSS leaders will grace the occasion. Some 200 people have been invited for the programme. In the major development, Iqbal Ansari and UP Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi have said they will accept the invitation and attend the grand ceremony.

However, the event will be telecast live. Dozens of giant LED screens will also be installed in Ayodhya and Faizabad cities. Meanwhile, some of the activist and communist party leaders tried hard to postpone or cancel the ceremony. Social activist Saket Gokhale had moved the Allahabad High Court seeking a restraining order on the Bhoomi Poojan, citing coronavirus concerns. However, the High Court dismissed his petition on July 24.