Mumbai: Maharashtra Government is likely to declare a public holiday on January 22, when ‘pran pratishtha’ (consecration ceremony) of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will take place. Even though the General Administration Department (GAD) has given a negative response to the proposal, the decision is expected to be announced by Friday as the chief minister is returning to Mumbai from Davos on Thursday night.
The development comes after the demands to declare a public holiday by cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Mangal Prabhat Lodha.
An official from Mantralaya said that the GAD has submitted its proposal to the chief minister office stating that they can not give a public holiday for this type of programme as there is no precedent for it. However, many of the BJP ruled states including Chhattisgarh, Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have announced a public holiday on January 22 and Maharashtra is also expected to follow it.
A senior official from the chief minister’s office (CMO) said that although the GAD has sent its negative remarks, it is a prerogative of the chief minister to take a call whether the public holiday needs to be declared or not.
“Since the BJP ruled states have declared a public holiday, we are expecting that our chief minister will also announce a public holiday in the state to celebrate the day like a festival,” the senior official said.
In the first week of January, Mr. Lodha had written a letter to chief minister Eknath Shinde demanding a public holiday on January 22. The BJP has also planned a series of activities and events in Mumbai on the day.
Describing Ram temple in Ayodhya as “national temple” in his letter to the chief minister, Mr. Lodha had stated that the lord Ram is an ideal for the entire nation. Ram temple is not only a temple but also a national temple. The letter reads, “It is a demand of Sakal Hindu Samaj that public holiday should be declared on January 22 when ‘pran pratishtha’ (consecration ceremony) of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will take place.”
