The decision of the Congress leaders in favour of participation in the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony has put the party in a fix in Kerala. Some party leaders in the state have expressed their concern over the Congress stand.
Kerala Congress leaders are learnt to have informed the high command that the decision to attend the consecration ceremony may have an adverse impact on the party’s electoral prospects in Kerala. They feel the acceptance of the invitation for the consecration ceremony may put party in a huge crisis situation.
The CPI-M will make use of the opportunity to propagate that Congress is pro-Hindu and would do everything to keep Muslims away from the Congress. Already the ‘Suprabhatam’ daily, the mouthpiece of Samastha Kerala Jam-iyyathul Ulama has come out against the Congress’ stand.
In an editorial titled ‘Will the Congress put its foot on the land where the mosque is demolished’, the Samatha’s mouthpiece said the Congress is adopting a soft Hindutva and if this position is not changed, the BJP will come to power in 2024.
Welcoming the decision of CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechuri and CPI leader D Raja and rejecting the invitation to attend the consecration function, the Suprabham daily asked the Congress to be careful not to fall on BJP’s agenda to communalise the country.
“Yechury and D Raja decided that they will not attend the function. Ram temple is built on broken minds of secular India. Congress should be careful not to fall on BJP’s attempt to communalise the country,” the editorial says. The editorial also warns that minorities and Dalits who have put their faith in Congress, will move to other political alternatives, if the party attends the Ram Temple consecration ceremony.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which is an ally of the Congress in Kerala, has also warned the Congress against falling in the BJP’s trap. IUML General Secretary PMA Salam asked the Congress to be cautious on accepting the invitation for the Ram Temple ceremony. “BJP creates traps before every election. Their policy is still to exploit communal sentiments. Congress should not fall on such traps of the BJP,” Salam said
Meanwhile, Congress leader KC Venugopal dodged a question regarding the participation of Congress in the Ram Temple event. Venugopal said he would give the answer in due course
The invitation has put the Congress in a difficult situation, if its leaders participate in the ceremony, it might lead to Muslims moving away from the party, particularly in Kerala, if they do not participate, it might lead to the propaganda in north India that the Congress is against the Hindu sentiments.