Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday made it clear that the state wouldn’t declare a holiday on Monday as demanded by the state BJP on account of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

“No holiday will be declared,” Siddaramaiah said while talking to reporters in Tumkur on Sunday after participating in the fifth death anniversary commemoration of Lingayat seer Sree Sivakumara Swami.

When his attention was drawn to the fact that the central government had declared a half-day break for its employees across the country to watch the event live on television, Siddaramaiah said his government had already announced a special puja at state-managed temples in Karnataka.

The confirmation came a day after Siddaramaiah said “Let’s see”, even as state BJP president Vijayendra Yediyurappa on Saturday urged the state government to declare a holiday on Monday.

Siddaramaiah further said that he would be inaugurating a Ram temple in Mahadevapura in Bangalore on Monday, while the state-managed temples would conduct special pujas.

State minister for Muzrai (temple affairs), Rambling Reddy, had on January 7 announced that more than 34,000 temples managed by his department had been instructed to offer special puja to coincide with the consecration.

Reddy’s announcement followed Siddaramaiah extending support to the temple in Ayodhya by saying: “We are very happy that it (Ram temple) is being inaugurated (consecrated)… We are not against Ayodhya, nor against the construction of the temple...”

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, R. Ashoka, reminded Siddaramaiah that it was not just the BJP that wanted a holiday. “It’s not we, but seven crore Kannadigas are seeking a holiday. So please allow the people to celebrate this happy occasion at every home in Karnataka,” he told reporters on Sunday.

BJP leader D.V. Sadananda Gowda commented: “I don’t know why Siddaramaiah is behaving like this. This is a huge event that will give a new strength to the Indian people.”