TOP STORY/ As Ram Lalla Returns Home After Over 500 Years, Big Question Arises: 'Where Are the Naysayers Now?'

New Delhi: Hours after devotees around the world witnessed an unprecedented moment of a 500-years-long wait finally coming to an end with the much-anticipated consecration of Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum (garb-griha) of the newly-inaugurated Ram Mandir in the holy city of Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took on the “negativity brigade”, asserting that "there are no takers for the negativity industry" anymore.

The PM's remarks come in the backdrop of a certain number of politicians from the INDI alliance and the Congress Party, deliberately abstaining from attending the consecration ceremony, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi even suggesting that the Pran Pratishtha was essentially a “PM Modi-event”.

Questioning the absence of those who'd been opposing the idea of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya – for years now – the PM stressed that “it's the moment that Hindus across the world have long-waited for”. PM Modi – who culminated his 11-days-long fast today – also acknowledged the grandeur of a mass celebration, saying, "the Hindu pride has been restored [after the consecration of Ram Lalla inside the Ayodhya temple]".

Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi was stopped during his 'Bharat Jodo 'Nyay' Yatra at Haibargaon last week, while he was on his way to the ‘sattra’ (Sankardeva's birthplace) in Assam.

Gandhi, along with senior Congress leaders and supporters, had staged a dharna there while MP Gaurav Gogoi and Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora proceeded towarrds the ‘sattra’ to resolve the issue.

"During a law and order crisis, everyone can go to the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva but only Rahul Gandhi cannot go", Gandhi had reportedly said in Assam's Nagaon.

As World Celebrates Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha, Mamata Banerjee Embarks on ‘Sanghati March’ of Her Own

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) Supremo Mamata Banerjee, who had also criticised the BJP earlier over the mandir event, began an all-faith harmony rally in the metropolis, aligning with the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya this afternoon.

Terming it a "gimmick show before the Lok Sabha polls", Banerjee, who had also chosen to stay away from the Pran Pratishtha, began the 'Sanghati March' from Hazra More in the capital city today.

Accompanied by religious leaders of various faiths and party leaders, the TMC chief visited various places of worship representing different religions, including mosques, churches, and gurudwaras.

"Where has the country's money gone?", Banerjee reportedly quipped while addressing the crowd during the rally.

"I don't care who worships whom... I have a problem with the unemployment in the country", news agency ANI quoted Banerjee as saying.

Tamil Nadu Sees ‘All-Pervasive Sense of Invisible Fear & Apprehensions’ as Rest of India Partakes Ayodhya Event

Meanwhile, in a stark contrast to the festive environment in the rest of the country, the southern state of Tamil Nadu witnessed "an all-pervasive sense of invisible fear and apprehensions" with Governor RN Ravi alleging that priests and staff of a Shri Ram temple in Chennai –  under the control of the DMK-led government in the state – "faced repression" even as the rest of the country celebrated the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya.

Around the same time, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while speaking to reporters in Kancheepuram, also alleged that the Tamil Nadu police “is being misused” by the “Hindu-hating” DMK regime to what the BJP termed was an attempt at thwarting the public screening of the Ayodhya ceremony, and related celebrations to mark the event.

The DMK "is clearly showing its personal hatred" for the Prime Minister and "suppressing worshippers", Sitharaman reportedly said.

'Ram Mandir Did Not Exist Earlier': When All-Fearful Asaduddin Owaisi Tried Hate-Mongering On Several Ocassions

Noteworthily, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi had – on multiple occassions – also sparked row over the holy event.

Talking to reporters in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi last week, Owaisi had reignited the Babri Masjid issue, alleging that "Ram Mandir did not exist earlier", and that “Babri Masjid was taken away” from the Indian Muslims "very systematically".

Claiming that Muslims offered 'namaz' [holy prayer] inside the Babri Masjid for 500 years, Owaisi alleged, "idols were placed inside the masjid at the time when Congress Party's GB Pant was Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, and Nair was the collector of Ayodhya".

"He [Nair] shut the masjid and started worshipping over there", Owaisi further alleged, while delivering controversial remarks: "Ram Mandir did not exist when the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was formed".

"...Even Mahatma Gandhi never mentioned anything about Ram Mandir,” the AIMIM chief had reportedly claimed.

Earlier, reacting to an order announcing that all central government offices across the country were to remain closed for half-a-day today, Owaisi termed the announcement as "development for all, appeasement for none (except majority)”.

Claiming that an “Eid Milad un Nabi holiday was cancelled by a BJP-led state government”, Owaisi asserted that “constitutional authority did away with a 30-minute break on Fridays for [offering] of namaz [sacred prayer]”.

His ‘enraging’ remarks came days after his party posted a video on its ‘X’ handle, in which Owaisi could be seen urging the Muslims at large – “to protect and populate mosques” – in what appeared to be an attempt at fear-mongering.

“Have lost a mosque because of your negligence. Beware, the cruel people sitting on the throne are looking at our mosques with greedy eyes. Keep the mosques populated and protect the mosques", the Hyderabad MP could be seen telling the crowd in the video.