MUMBAI, July 29: NCP leader Sharad Pawar has said it is not desirable to have large gatherings for the ground-breaking ceremony for the Ram temple construction in Ayodhya being held on August 5 when the coronavirus epidemics is spreading.

He said that the ‘bhoomi pujan’ ceremony can be performed by a select few people in the current situation.

"I’m sorry, I’m not going to attend," he told a TV channel. "I am not against the ceremony but my top priority is coronavirus and that’s why I’m concentrating here… I’m not going anywhere,” he said.

He said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is also of the same opinion. Thackeray had on Sunday suggested that the ceremony can be conducted through video-conference.

"An e-bhoomi pujan can be done. The ground-breaking ceremony can be held through video-conference. This is an event of joy, and lakhs of people would be interested in attending the ceremony. Will we allow the spread of coronavirus?" Thackeray said in an interview published in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana'.