BJP Has Made Ram Temple Event Its 'Political Programme': Cong Leader

Senior Congress leaders declined the invitation to the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya as the BJP has made the event its “political programme”, Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said on Thursday.

His remarks came after the BJP slammed the Congress’ decision to decline the invitations to the January 22 event, claiming that it has exposed the party’s inherent opposition to India’s culture and Hindu religion.

Due to its feelings of “jealousy, malice and inferiority complex” towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress had gone to the extent of opposing the country and is now opposing God, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told reporters in Delhi on Thursday.

Hitting out at the BJP at a press conference at the Haryana Congress’ headquarters here, Shukla said, “I want to clear things and the misconception which is being created. The decision not to attend the (consecration) programme is because it has become a political party’s programme.”

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi and the party’s leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday “respectfully declined” the invitation to attend the ceremony, with the party accusing the BJP of making it into a “political project” for electoral gains.

The Ram temple is being built according to the Supreme Court verdict and the Congress had said from the start that whatever be the court’s directive, “it will be acceptable”, Shukla said.

“On the day the court directive came, the Congress Working Committee (the highest decision-making body of the party) in a meeting welcomed the apex court directive saying a grand temple should be built…,” he said.

The BJP, however, has made the consecration ceremony a “political programme”, Shukla said. “Who will object going to the Ram temple. Everyone will go. Congress people will also go. It is only that the event on that day (January 22) has been made into a political programme,” he said and alleged that the BJP has made the event its programme and this is the issue.

On the Manipur-to-Maharashtra Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which will begin on January 14, Shukla said invitations will be extended to INDIA bloc parties to join the march led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

“They will also join the yatra,” he said while referring to opposition INDIA bloc leaders. The yatra is to yet to begin, but BJP leaders have started targeting it, and “this shows the yatra’s success”, Shukla said. He also alleged that the BJP is trying to create hurdles for the yatra as it is scared of the march.

“They (BJP government) are already putting various riders for giving permissions in Manipur from where the yatra will begin,” he said. Shukla also alleged that the BJP government at the Centre is using central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate to target opposition leaders.