Ranchi, Jan 10 (PTI) Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) national spokesperson Vinod Bansal on Wednesday appealed to the people of Jharkhand to celebrate January 22, the day of Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, as Diwali.

He urged people of the state to organise special pujas in their nearest temples, considering them as Ayodhya. Bansal said only those invited by the temple trust for the consecration ceremony should visit the holy city on January 22.

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Representatives from 50 countries are scheduled to visit the temple town on that day, he added.

Bansal said he will not go to Ayodhya on January 22 and instead visit a temple near his residence and consider it as the Ram temple of Ayodhya.

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Asked about the number of people invited for the event, Bansal said around 7,000 people, including approximately 100 representatives from different countries, will attend the ceremony.

Regarding invitation to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is also the working president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Bansal said if the CM meets the criteria set by the temple trust, he will be invited.

According to Bansal, no political party leaders have been invited, but he acknowledged that there may be changes to the criteria.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)