Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of Nepal has said that the real Ayodhya is in Nepal, not India.
Kathmandu:
Nepal’s archaeological department plans to start studies and excavations in Thori, in the south of the country, after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli claims he is “the true birthplace” of Lord Ram, according to an article release published Thursday.
Several senior Nepalese politicians from different parties criticized Mr. Oli for making “senseless and irrelevant” comments that Lord Ram was born in Thori near Birgunj and the real Ayodhya lives in Nepal. They asked him to withdraw his controversial statement.
Following Oli’s remarks, the Department of Archeology (DoA) discussed a possible archaeological study in the region with various ministries, reported the newspaper My Republica.
“The department held several meetings with different ministries to discuss the possibility of starting archaeological studies in Thori de Birgunj,” said DOA spokesman Ram Bahadur Kunwar.
DoA Director General Damodar Gautam said the department is serious about carrying out archaeological studies in Thori after Prime Minister Oli’s statement.
“The department will speak to experts and will soon reach a conclusion,” said Gautam.
However, the DoA has no basis for starting excavations in Thori – the birthplace of Lord Ram, as Oli claims.
“It is our responsibility to conduct a study after such statements by the Prime Minister. Having said that, I cannot say that we have enough basis to prove that Ayodhya is in Nepal,” said Gautam.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the remarks made by Prime Minister Oli “are not related to any political subject and have no intention of harming the feelings and feelings of anyone” .
He further stressed that his remarks “were not intended to degrade the meaning of Ayodhya and the cultural value it carries”.
“As there have been several myths and references about Shri Ram and its associated places, the Prime Minister simply stressed the importance of continuing studies and research on the vast cultural geography that the Ramayana represents to obtain facts about Shri Ram, the Ramayana and the various places linked to this rich civilization, “the ministry said.
The clarification came after much public outcry in India and Nepal over Prime Minister Oli’s controversial remarks about Ayodhya.
BJP National Spokesperson Bizay Sonkar Shastri Condemns Oli’s Sayings and Said Leftist Parties Even in India Play with People’s Faith Communists in Nepal Will Be Rejected by the Masses the same way they were here.
“Lord Ram is a matter of faith for us, and people will not allow anyone, whether it be the Prime Minister of Nepal or anyone, to play with it,” he said on Monday.
The Nepalese Opposition Congress strongly condemned Oli’s controversial statements about Ayodhya and said he had “lost the moral and political basis” to govern the country.
The party also requested the official position of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) and the government on the Prime Minister’s remarks on Ayodhya.
Oli is already facing strong opposition from his own party leaders who are demanding his resignation for his autocratic functioning and his previous anti-India statement.
