On Thursday, Ram Vilas Vedanti, a former BJP MP and leader of the Ram temple movement, urged Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, to arrange for the transportation of BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani to Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony scheduled for January 22.

This comes days after Advani and another BJP veteran, Murli Manohar Joshi, were “advised” by the Ram Temple Trust on December 18 to skip the consecration ceremony due to their advanced age.

“Advani should see with his own eyes Ram Lalla sitting on his throne…this is not only the desire of the country, but of the Hindus across the world, because Advani’s contribution to the Ram temple movement is huge,” said Vedanti.

He stated that the BJP owes a great deal to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr. Advani, and Mr. Joshi for it to be where it is today.

“With his ‘Rath Yatra’ from Somnath to Ayodhya, Avani has significantly aided the Ram temple movement. Mr. Vedanti told reporters in this location, “I want the UP government, especially Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, to make arrangements to bring Advani to the sanctum sanctorum when Ram Lalla is being consecrated.

Because of their ages, Mr. Advani and Mr. Joshi were asked not to attend the ceremony earlier this month by Ram Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai.

“Both are elders of the family and considering their age, they were requested not to come, which was accepted by them,” said Mr. Rai.

However, the Vishva Hindu Parishad intervened a day later on December 19, and its working president, Alok Kumar, announced that he had extended invitations to Mr. Advani and Mr. Joshi to attend the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Kumar had stated in a statement that Mr. Advani and Mr. Joshi had pledged to make “every effort” to attend the ceremony scheduled for January 22.