Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav has received an invitation to attend the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22. However, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister stated that he plans to visit the temple with his family after the inauguration event.

Using X (formerly known as Twitter), Akhilesh Yadav announced that he received the invitation on Saturday and expressed his intention to visit the Ram Temple as a devotee following the consecration ceremony.

In a letter addressed to the temple trust, Yadav conveyed his gratitude for the affectionate invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Ayodhya. He assured that he would visit with his family as devotees after the completion of the ceremony. The SP leader also extended congratulations to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra.

Akhilesh Yadav's response comes amid a growing political controversy over the attendance of various political parties at the ceremony. On Friday, Yadav accused the BJP of humiliating opposition parties in the name of Lord Ram.

The Congress party has declared its decision not to attend the January 22 ceremony, contending that the event has turned into a political rather than a religious one. Congress and SP, being allies in an alliance formed to challenge the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, face the Ram Mandir as a significant election issue.

Other major opposition parties, including Trinamool Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena (UBT), have also characterized the inauguration of the Ram Temple as an "election gimmick."

Meanwhile, BJP leaders have criticized the parties declining the Ram Mandir invitation, labeling them as "anti-Ram" parties.

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