Ram belongs to all; doesn’t live in Ayodhya alone: Farooq Abdullah

“Does Lord Ram stay only in Ayodhya? In one temple only? Lord Ram is everywhere. He is the world's Ram. He does not belong to a particular community or exclusively to the BJP or RSS. Nobody is the custodian of Ram”, he told reporters in Jammu.

Asked about invitations for the next week’s consecration ceremony at Ayodhya being sent to select group of people, Mr. Abdullah said that people do not need any invitation to visit the place as Lord Ram belong to all and is omnipresent. He asked, “Is Ram of the BJP only? Does Ram belong to only the RSS? Who are they to invite anyone? Why do you need an invitation to go to a temple?”.

The NC leader added, “If I am going for Umrah (pilgrimage to Kabbah and Masjid al-Haram in Mecca), shall I expect an invitation from there? The invitation process is wrong. Nobody is the custodian of Ram.”

When asked that the central government has announced that students and government employees can avail half day leave on January 22 to visit the grand event, he quipped, “Let them do it for a full day so that we will rest at home that day”.