Satyendra Das, the head priest of a makeshift Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, has questioned the need for erecting a large statue of the deity in the city. “Lord Ram’s place is in a temple and not in the open,” said Das, according to the Hindustan Times.

Adityanath’s Bharatiya Janata Party government is likely to announce the construction of a 151-metre tall statue on the banks of the Sarayu river in Ayodhya this week, according to reports.

The state’s Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, however, said in an interview with News18 that his government would go ahead with the construction of the statue.

“The government listens to the public’s sentiments, it doesn’t act on its own selfish interests,” said Sharma. “If the public wants the tallest Ram statue in Ayodhya and it is built, why should anyone object or feel pained?” Sharma claimed the statue would generate tourism, leading to greater employment opportunities in the temple town.

But priest Mahant Satyendra Das, who has performed “puja” at the makeshift Ram Janmabhoomi temple for more than 25 years, said that Ram’s statue cannot be treated like that of a politician and installed out in the open, where it would be difficult to perform daily “puja” and look after it. “You very well know the condition of the statues of politicians... no one takes care of them,” he told Hindustan Times. “Nobody wants Lord Ram’s statue to meet the same fate.”

If the statue is built, it should be of a reasonable height so that it can be looked after, he said. “We do not need the tallest statue of Lord Ram,” said Das. “Its height must be such that it can be easily maintained and it must also have a proper canopy.”

Das said he felt that razing the Babri Masjid had caused more harm to Hindus than Muslims and that Ram’s statue must not become a tool of political propaganda.

The Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, which has led the Ram temple movement across the country, also demanded proper maintenance of the proposed statue. “Lord Ram’s statue is not just any other statue. It cannot be installed and forgotten,” said its head Mahant Nritya Gopal Das. “The government has to ensure its proper maintenance.”