Amidst the current tensions between India and Nepal, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli made a claim about Ayodhya and the nationality of Lord Ram. According to PM Oli, the city of Ayodhya, located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is actually not the birth place of Lord Ram.
“Lord Ram’s kingdom is located in the west of Birgunj in Nepal and India has created the disputed Ayodhya”, he said.
Real Ayodhya lies in Nepal, not in India. Lord Ram is Nepali not Indian: Nepali media quotes Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli (file pic) pic.twitter.com/k3CcN8jjGV
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2020
During a cultural procession on the occasion of Bhanu Jayanti, PM Oli stated that “we are under a misconception that Sita married Ram of India”. While agreeing to the fact that Sita hailed from Nepal, he claimed that Ram was in fact Nepali and not Indian. He substantiated his claim with an explanation. He said “Why would Lord Ram travel as far as Janakpur to marry Sita had Ayodhya been in India”.
“We have been oppressed a bit, culturally. Facts have been encroached” says PM Oli, as quoted by the Nepali news website, Setopati.com.
He also stated that the ‘Indian Ayodhya’ has a lot of “issues” going on whereas the Ayodhya in Nepal does not have any such “issues”.
This claim by the Prime Minister of Nepal attracted an anticipated reaction from the priests and Ram devotees in India. According to Times Now, the priests in Ayodhya called him “insane” and assured him that his government will fall in a month.
While refuting and condemning Oli’s claim, a member of the Ram Mandir Trust stated that Lord Ram cannot be from Nepal as Saryu river is not located in Nepal. “Jiske Uttar me Saryu pravahit hoti hai, vo Ayodhya hai (The place from where Sarya river flows in the east is Ayodhya)”, said Kalki Ram Das Maharaj, a priest and the chief of Ram Dal. While challenging the claims of PM Oli, he also said that the Prime Minister would lose his throne in a month.
Last month, Nepal’s parliament unanimously voted to expand its political map and claim Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani areas of India. The bill was unanimously passed in the National Assembly as well.
In the month of May, the Prime Minister of Nepal also accused India for the spread of Coronavirus in Nepal. He claimed that people coming from India are carrying the infection with them.
Amidst months of tensions between two countries, this is one of the long list of instances where Nepal has challenged India, yet again. There has been no official statement by the Indian authorities on this claim yet.
