Have not received Ram Temple invite, says Akhilesh, VHP says name on list

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said he had not received any invitation to the 22 January pran pratishtha (consecration) ceremony at the Ayodhya Ram Temple yet, either in person or by courier, and demanded proof in case of it having been sent by post.

Speaking to reporters at the Samajwadi Party office in Lucknow, Yadav said, "They (apparently referring to the BJP and the VHP) are humiliating me. I have not received any invitation. When we organise any programme, we invite only those who are known to us. We do not invite a stranger."

When a reporter stated that the invitation had been sent to him by courier, Yadav said if that was so, then the postal receipt should be shown to him so that it could be checked whether it had been sent to the correct address.

"Now it is coming to light that the invitation has been sent to me by courier. I request journalists to get me the receipt of the courier so that we can find out whether the invitation is coming to our address or going to some other address," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

Vishva Hindu Parishad national spokesperson Vinod Bansal, when asked whether an invitation for the consecration ceremony had been sent to the SP chief, replied, "I cannot confirm whether the invitation has been delivered to him or not. But his name is on the list of invitees."