Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 25 : Faizabad MP Awadesh Prasad on Tuesday alleged that he was not invited to the 'Dhwajarohan' ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya because he "belongs to the Dalit community."
Asserting that Lord Ram "belongs to everyone," The Samajwadi Party MP said that the decision not to invite him is "narrow-minded thinking" and vowed to continue his "fight for respect, equality, and the honour of the Constitution."
"The reason I was not invited to the flag-raising ceremony in Ram Lalla's court is that I belong to the Dalit community. So this is not Ram's honour, it is an introduction to someone else's narrow-minded thinking. Ram belongs to everyone. My fight is not for any position or invitation, but for respect, equality, and the honour of the Constitution," Awadesh Prasad said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat ceremonially hoisted the saffron flag atop the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple's 191-foot-high shikhar in Ayodhya, symbolising the completion of the temple's construction
The 'Dharma Dhwaj' carries three sacred symbols, Om, the Sun and the Kovidara tree, each representing profound spiritual values rooted in the Sanatan tradition. The right-angled triangular flag measures 10 feet in height and 20 feet in length.
The Kovidar tree is a hybrid of the Mandar and Parijat trees, created by Rishi Kashyap, showcasing ancient plant hybridisation. The Sun represents Lord Ram's Suryavansh lineage, and Om is the eternal spiritual sound.
Addressing the gathering at the 'Dwajarohan' ceremony, PM Modi said that India and the world have become "Ram-may" as he described the installation of the Dharma Dhwaja atop the Ram Temple as a moment that heals "wounds of centuries" and marks the fulfilment of a civilisational resolve kept alive for 500 years.
"Today, the entire India and the world is Ram-may. There is extraordinary satisfaction in the heart of every Ram devotee. There is boundless gratitude. There is unfathomable supernatural bliss. The wounds of centuries are being healed. The pain of centuries is being put to rest today. The resolve of centuries is being fulfilled today. Today is the completion of that sacrifice whose fire remained lit for 500 years," he said.
PM Modi invoked the values associated with Lord Ram to underline the vision of building a "confident" and "future-ready India".
"Ram is not a person, He is a value. If we want to make India developed by 2047, we have to awaken Ram within ourselves. What day can be better than today for this resolution?"
He emphasised that "Lord Ram connects through emotion", reaffirming that devotion and cooperation form the core of Indian society.
Reflecting on India's development journey of the past decade, the Prime Minister said, "In the last 11 years, every section of society, women, Dalits, backward classes, extremely backward classes, tribals, the deprived, farmers, workers, and youth, has been placed at the centre of development."