Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar wrote to chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday, requesting her to declare a holiday on January 22 to facilitate people's participation in festivities marking the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"The consecration of the Ram temple is a day of pride for all Indians. As the administrative head of the state, I earnestly request you to declare the day as a holiday so that everyone can join the celebrations on the sacred day. This request extends to both the government and non-government entities,” the letter read.

Majumdar also asked Mamata to keep schools and colleges closed on the day.

The Centre has declared a half-day holiday for all its establishments on January 22 so that its employees can watch the temple consecration in Ayodhya live on television and participate in religious events. Central government offices will start work at 2.30pm on Monday.

BJP-ruled states such as Goa, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, have declared a holiday on January 22. BJD-ruled Odisha has also followed suit.

Many political analysts have termed the Centre's decision to declare a holiday to mark the temple consecration a violation of the secular principles enshrined in the Constitution and demanded it rescind the order. Economist and political activist Prasenjit Bose has asked how the government could declare a holiday for an event that is being organised by a private trust.