“God sent PM Modi for this purpose,” says Kameshwar Choupal, who laid first brick at Ram Mandir in 1989

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to attend the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla at the grand Mandir on January 22, Kameshwar Choupal, a member of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, said that Indian culture is being “revived” under the leadership of PM Modi, “who has been connected with spirituality since his childhood.”

In an exclusive interview with media, when asked about PM Modi’s role in the Ram Mandir movement, he said, “PM Modi has been connected to spirituality since his childhood… The Indian culture is being revived under his leadership.” “Maybe God has sent PM Modi under some plan. It seems he was born for this work,” he added.

“He did not join the Ram Mandir struggle after becoming the PM. He had been working for Indian culture and values since his childhood. When LK Advani carried out the Rathyatra from Somnath, PM Modi was the ‘Sarathi'”, he added.

PM Modi was one of the organisers of the Rath Yatra as a then-party leader. The yatra was the biggest mass mobilisation event. BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani announced a rath yatra, of 10,000 kilometres passing through 10 States from Somnath to Ayodhya, between September 25 and October 30.

On the struggle for the Ram Temple movement, he said, “There was a struggle when the British ruled the country… After independence, the struggle saw bloodshed; unarmed Ram devotees were fired and lathi-charged. There was a struggle from the road to the Parliament.”

On the Pran Pratishtha  in Ram Mandir, Choupal said, “This moment is indescribable for those who dreamt of it, those who struggled for a long time. Not just individuals but people have sacrificed their generations for it… I think that this is the result of the sacrifice and devotion of generations… The Pran Pratishtha is the moment of India’s pride…” He further said that when the country became independent, “the Lord appeared here in 1949 and the struggle followed thereafter.”

“After a long-fought struggle, Prabhu Ram got his birthplace. Hence, there is an atmosphere of joy,” he added.

Kameshwar Choupal was the first man who laid the foundation stone (Ram sila) for Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on November 9, 1989. Kameshawar Chaupal is the lone Dalit member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust.

(with inputs from ANI)