Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday slammed the BJP and its ideological mentor RSS for making the January 22 consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir a “completely political Narendra Modi function”.
Speaking to reporters at a briefing during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Nagaland’s Kohima, “The RSS and the BJP have made the 22nd January function a completely political Narendra Modi function. It’s a RSS BJP function and I think that is why the Congress President said that he would not go to the function. We are open to all religions, all practices.”
Apparently refering to the objections raised by Shankaracharyas, the Gandhi Scion said that the biggest authorities of Hindu religion have made their views public about the ceremony and that it was difficult for the Congress to go to a political function.
“Even the authorities of the Hindu religion, the biggest authorities of the Hindu religion have made their view public about what they think about the 22nd January function that it is a political function. So it is difficult for us to go to a political function which is designed around the Prime Minister of India and designed around the RSS,” Gandhi added.
His remarks came days after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury”respectfully declined” the invitation to the Ram temple consecration ceremony.
The Congress said that the inauguration of the “incomplete temple” was being done by the BJP for electoral gains ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Their refusal to attend the ceremony was slammed by the BJP and the saffron party accused Congress of being anti-Ram and anti-Hindu.
However, a Congress delegation comprising the party’s Uttar Pradesh leadership, along with senior leaders Deepender Hooda and spokesperson Supriya Shrinate visited Ayodhya on Monday and had a darshan of Ram Lalla.
The Ayodhya visit of Congress leaders is believed to have been planned by the grand old party to counter the “anti-Hindu” narrative being set by the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.