Dalit sculptor is keen to make Lord Ram statue

Lucknow: In political terms, this could be a dream come true for BJP’s spin doctors.

A dalit artist sculpting the statue of Lord Ram for installation in Ayodhya is a perfect recipe, in political and social terms, for boosting the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh image.

Amarnath Prajapati, who belongs to the dalit sub-caste Kumhar, recently met chief minister Yogi Adityanath and offered his services for making a 108-feet tall idol of the Lord Ram.

Earlier, the 40-year-old sculptor had been commissioned by the previous Akhilesh government for making a statue of socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia. The statue was installed at a memorial in Ambedkar Nagar, where Lohia stayed during  his early years.

Mr Prajapati is also known for making statues of dalit icons like B.

R. Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and Mayawati during the BSP government.

Government sources, however, said the Ayodhya project will require clearance of the National Green Tribunal.

Principal secretary tourism Avanish Kumar Awasthi said the proposal on Lord Ram’s idol is still in the initial stage. “A formal plan is yet to be chalked out,” he said.

The official said installation of a towering Lord Ram idol on the banks of Saryu has been conceptualised on the lines of a similar installation in Bali in Indonesia and a  Lord Shiv idol in Mauritius.