Politicians, saints condemn Nepal PM Oli's remark on Lord Ram, Ayodhya

Ayodhya/Lucknow:Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli's statement that the real Ayodhya was in Nepal and Lord Ram was a Nepali drew condemnation from various quarters in India. 

In a series of tweets, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that Nepal was earlier the part of Aryavrat rule and Mr Oli should have known it."The statement of Nepal PM was an insult to the people of India and it shows the mental derangement of the Nepal PM," he further said.

Mahant Raju Das of Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya has sought an apology from Nepal PM. 

"Though Nepal is a Hindu country but since Communist party has taken over the rein, they are doing everything to insult the Hindu religion," the saint alleged.

He said religious books, scriptures along with history says clearly about Ayodhya and where it exists. "But by raising such an unnecessary controversy, Nepal is trying to insult the Hindu religion and i urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask his Nepali counterpart to give an unconditional apology over his statement,'' the saint alleged.

Mahant Jagatguru Parhamansacharya of  'Tapasvijee ki Chavni' too condemned the statement of Nepali PM, saying that, ''I challenge Nepali PM to prove his claim,".The Mahant said the Ramayan clearly describe that Ayodhya is situated on banks of river Saryu and there are ample evidence of Lord Ram's birth here."It seems that the communist PM was following the path of extremists by giving such statements just to please China and Pakistan, " he further alleged.

Mr Oli had made the remarks during a cultural programme at his residence in Nepal on Monday. He said ,"Ayodhya, the ancient city believed by millions of Hindus to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, is actually a small village near Kathmandu."

Mr Oli then accused India of cultural oppression and encroachment, and said Nepal's contribution to science had been undervalued."We still believe we gave Sita to Prince Ram but we gave the prince too, from Ayodhya, not India. Ayodhya is a village a little west of Birgunj, a district in Nepal that is around 135 km from capital Kathmandu," Prime Minister Oli said.

Prime Minister Oli's contentious remarks come amid a row between the two countries over a revised political map that sees Nepal claim Indian areas- the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and the Limpiyadhura and Kalapani.Last year, the Supreme Court cleared the way for a Ram Temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya where the work for a grand temple has started.(UNI)