At the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, the Ram Lalla idol was unveiled on January 22, 2024, which was attended by PM Modi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The unveiling took place after the hour-long rituals in the presence of PM Modi who led the ceremony. Fifty traditional musical instruments from across the country were part of the devotional ‘Mangal Dhwani’ that resonated during the consecration ceremony at the newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Over 8,000 guests were invited to the ceremony at the grand temple including top politicians, Bollywood stars, and prominent businessmen. In the respective grand ceremony, one of the key guests was Mohammed Iqbal Ansari who was a key litigant in the Babri mosque-Ram Janmabhoomi legal dispute from the Muslim side.
Ansari’s presence shows an effort to bridge historical divides and unite people in the spirit of the temple’s construction. He publicly welcomed the Supreme Court verdict in 2019 but unfortunately, he was recently beaten up by his own community members for supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ansari stated that the assault was preceded by verbal threats issued to him. In the recent mishap on April 5, Ansari was in a mosque near his home in Mohalla Kothiya Panji Tola to offer namaz on the day of Jumma Alvida, the last Friday of the month of Ramzan.
Outside the mosque, some media persons were there trying to record Ansari through a window in the premises. But the window was closed that day which usually used to be open on other days. On this Ansari said that the window had been closed deliberately by the men who beat him. He further said that it’s very usual for media persons to record his footage on special occasions as he is a prominent figure in the dispute.
Ansari tried to open the window for media persons to record him but some men came and started beating him. However, a part of the tussle was recorded by the media persons standing outside. The men told him, ‘Tum Rajanati Karte Ho’(You indulge in politics). Later Ansari filed a complaint to the police, naming a man named Ayub Ansari alias Pappu and three accomplices.
The Journalist tried to contact Ayodhya Police to know if a First Information Report was filed or not in the complaint but several calls remained unanswered. Over the phone, Ansari told the journalist that he had to go to the police station again to ask for the status of his complaint. He proudly says that his stand for the Bharatiya Janata Party does not go down well with many members of the Muslim community to which he belongs.
Ansari inherited the legal suit from his late father Mohammed Haji Hashim Ansari. In 2019, he publicly said that he welcomed the Supreme Court verdict allotting the disputed land to the Hindus.
Ansari distanced himself when the All India Muslim Personal Law Board announced a review petition against the verdict. He said, ‘There is no use in supporting the review as the result will remain the same’.
Ansari became the first person to get the invitation to the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony held on August 5, 2020, and was also attended by PM Modi. He happily received the invitation and said to media persons that he believed it was Lord Ram’s wish and blessing that he received the first invitation.
On January 22, 2024, he was also invited to the Ram Janmabhoomi temple’s Pran Pratishtha ceremony. He showered flowers on PM Modi’s motorcade during his roadshow in Ayodhya on 30 December. Ansari’s participation was covered by the media.
Ansari said about the attackers, ‘They dislike that I stand for harmony and support PM Modi’. He further added, ‘If the railway station has been modernized, shouldn’t I talk about it? I can acknowledge if Ayodhya is developing’.
In 1961, Ansari’s father was named a litigant from the Muslim side when the community filed a petition in the district court against placing murtis under the central dome in 1949. However, he died in 2016 at the age of 96.
According to the Muslim Organisation, ‘Muslim Rashtriya Manch’, 74% of Muslims are happy with the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and believe that Narendra Modi is the most successful Prime Minister of India. As per the press release, MRM conducted the largest survey among Muslims in the country through ‘Ayurveda Foundation Charitable Trust’, an independent research and survey company in Gujarat.
The MRM survey noted, ‘During the survey, many Muslims openly said Jai Shree Ram. One more thing that came out of the survey is that the so-called Ulemas, Maulanas and opposition leaders who are trying to earn their political fortunes in the name of Islam should be completely boycotted’.
As per the survey, ‘74% of Muslims are happy with the construction of the temple. 70% of Muslims trust the Modi government, 72% of Muslims agree, the opposition has no issue and 70% of Muslims feel that Bharat has emerged as a world power. According to the survey, ‘Muslims have gotten benefits ranging from Jan Dhan Yojana to Izzat Ghar, i.e., toilet construction, Ujjwala Yojana, free ration and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana’.
Comments