Amid BJP criticism of INDIA alliance parties over their refusal to attend the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir on January 22, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has accused the saffron party and its ideological mother RSS of doing politics in the name of Lord Ram.
Addressing a public gathering in Karnataka’s Nipani, Pawar said, “The shilanyas (laying of first stone) was conducted during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure, but today the BJP and RSS are doing politics in the name of Lord Ram.”
Refering to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 11-day fast ahead of the mega Ram temple event, Pawar said people would have appreciated if he had observed a fast to eliminate poverty.
“I respect his faith in Ram, but had he decided to observe a fast to eliminate poverty, people would have appreciated it,” the NCP leader added.
Pawar was refering to the November 9, 1989 foundation stone laying ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Rajiv Gandhi government allowed Vishwa Hindu Parishad to lay the foundation stone of the temple.
Before that, the locks of the then Babari Masjid were opened during the Rajiv Gandhi government.
Pawar’s remarks came amid a war of words between the BJP and the Congress-led Opposition over the consecration ceremony.
While the Opposition parties have accused the BJP of making the temple event a political function for electoral gains, the saffron has accused them of being “anti-Ram and anti-Sanatana”.
None of the INDIA alliance leaders have accepted the invitation to attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony.
While the Left objected to the alleged “politicisation” of the religious event, the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has said that he will visit the temple after the ceremony.
The Congress also turned down the invite terming the event a BJP, RSS function centred around Prime Minister Narendra Modi in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
However, a delegation of the Congress party visited the Ayodhya on Monday and had darshan of Ram Lalla.