Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday accused the ruling BJP of using Ram Temple consecration ceremony to distract public from their governance failures.
In a social media post, the Congress MP from Kerala said he sees religion as a personal attribute and not one for political use.
“Was interrogated by the waiting press, wanting to know if I would be going to Ayodhya on January 22. I told them I hadn’t been invited but I saw religion as a personal attribute and not one for political (mis) use,” he wrote on ‘X’.
Tharoor further added, “I also pointed out that by making such a major news story of the event, which has been known about for some time already, the media was playing into the hands of those who want to milk political benefit from the Ram Mandir while distracting the public from their governance failures.”
The BJP has been facing criticism from political opponents for allegedly making Ram Temple inauguration a political event in view of the next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had also slammed the ruling party for “politicising” the religious programme.
Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said that her party will not attend the ceremony as they don’t subscribe to the use of religion as a political weapon.
“Our party will not attend the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. We respect the religious sentiments of the people but they (BJP) are combining religion with politics. This is an attempt to politicise a religious programme. This is not right,” Karat, a member of the CPI(M)’s Politburo, was quoted as saying by ANI.
“Using religion as a political weapon or for advancing a political agenda is not right,” she added.
The consecration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be held on January 22.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the trust overseeing the temple construction in Ayodhya, has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to place the idol of Lord Ram in the ‘Garbhagriha’ (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple.
According to reports, the trust has sent special invitations to 7,000 people, including 3,000 VVIPs, for the consecration ceremony.