2024 Lok Sabha Polls: Can Nitish Kumar's plan to redevelop Sitamarhi act as a challenge to BJP's Ayodhya move?
Laal Krishna Advani-led Ram Mandir movement materialised in 2019 owing to a Supreme Court decision ruling in favour of the Hindu side, during the Narendra Modi governance period, giving the saffron party an edge with the religious fundamentalists. Now the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar government has announced the Bihar government's ₹72-crore plan to redevelop the Punourdham in Sitamarhi.
This is being seen as the INDIA bloc member's attempt to directly contest the saffron party's Ayodhya bid, even as Janata Dal (UNited) members try to posit Nitish Kumar as the Prime Ministerial face for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. Like Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh is believed to be the birthplace of Valmiki Ramayana's Ram, Sitamarhi in Bihar is believed to be the birthplace of Ram's wife Sita.
Nitish Kumar government's plan involves setting up of a parikrama path (a path to circumambulate the temple) with a roof and sandstone pillars. A Sita Vatika (Sita’s garden), Luv-Kush Vatika (Luv-Kush garden) and a shanti mandap (area for meditation) are also being planned besides a cafeteria and a parking lot, according to media reports.
A 3-D animation film, depicting Sita’s life, is also in the pipeline. Nitish Kumar's decision to redevelop space related to Sita, has earned him allegation of practicing ‘soft Hindutva’ ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha Polls from BJP.
Notably, the Bihar CM had broken off his alliance with BJP in 2022 and joined hands with Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Jal (RJD) bringing in Tejashwi Yadav as the deputy chief minister. Further, the JD(U) has made claims that BJP has only been concentrating on the development of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya while ignoring places believed to be associated with Sita Ram Mandir in Ayodhya
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