Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is unlikely to attend the January 22 inauguration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Though none in the State Government, not even the senior ministers would talk about it there are whispers that the Chief Minister had decided to skip the mega ceremony in an apparent bid to avoid being seen on the same platform with the BJP which the INDIA alliance --- of which Banerjee too is a member --- has been attacking for using religion as a tool to win elections.
Notwithstanding Banerjee’s skipping the programme, the Bengal ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC), may send a representative on its behalf to the ceremony, sources said.
There is a second view also. Banerjee wants to keep mum on the issue for the present as she herself has been constructing a Jagannath Temple at Digha --- modeled after the world famous ancient Puri Jagannath Temple. The Digha Temple being constructed by State funds is likely to be a major tourist attraction and a vote catcher considering the fact that a majority of the people in East Midnapore district bordering Odisha are the followers of Lord Jagannath.
