"Finally, after 500 years of struggle...": Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM gets emotional over journey of Ram Janmabhoomi

Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 22 (ANI): With only a few hours left for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony scheduled for Monday, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya got emotional over the event that is taking place after '500 years of struggle'.
Speaking to ANI, the Deputy CM said that the world was waiting for this day.
"After 500 years of struggle, finally, the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla is going to be done at his birthplace today...The world was waiting for this day. The amount of happiness is difficult to be expressed in words..." teary-eyed Maurya said.
The 'Pran Pratistha' of Ram Lalla is scheduled for Paush Shukla Kurma Dwadashi, Vikram Samvat 2080, which falls today, January 22.
The ceremony will witness the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, Governor Anandiben Patel, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, among other dignitaries.
People from all walks of life, including representatives of various tribal communities, will also attend the ceremony. The Prime Minister will address the gathering on occasion.
The ceremony is being held after the first phase of the temple's construction, made possible by a Supreme Court judgement in 2019 on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit. The Hindu litigants argued that the Babri Mosque was constructed at the site of a temple marking the birthplace of Lord Ram. In 1992, the 16th-century mosque was demolished by "kar sevaks".
Maurya further said that people were overwhelmed by the event, except a few.
Notably, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury "respectfully" declined the invitation extended by the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Trust to attend the 'Pran Prathista' ceremony.
The UP Deputy CM also said that the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ayodhya, who has held an 11-day special ritual for the ceremony, is a tribute to the 'kar sevaks' who laid their life during the struggle for the Ram Janmabhoomi.
On January 12, at Kala Ram Mandir in Nashik, PM Modi began an 11-day sacred ceremony, leading up to the consecration of Lord Ram. He initiated the ritual from Nashik Dham, Panchavati, where Lord Ram spent significant time. (ANI)