Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, while inaugurating a Ram temple in Bengaluru on the day of the grand pran pratistha (consecration) ceremony that transfixed the nation, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of politicising the Ayodhya event. “Sri Ramchandra should not be confined to any political party’s agenda,” he said on Monday.
Siddaramaiah, inaugurating a temple in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura dedicated to Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman, said he too was a devotee of Sri Ram and Hanuman, and that his devotion was genuine and not one that came from political compulsions.
In a statement directed at the PM who participated in the Ayodhya ceremony as “chief yajman”, he said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi, if you are a true devotee of Ram, how many promises did you fulfill to the people of this country through your manifesto during the election? Stop and swear at the Ram Mandir inaugurated today in Ayodhya; how much needs to be fulfilled? You don’t have that courage; it won’t even come. Because in the name of Ram, you have only election weapons.”
Speaking about how the BJP manifesto spoke of doubling the revenue of farmers, he accused the ruling party at the Centre of not providing them with drought relief.
A promise was made to build a system of cooperative federalism to empower all states, Siddaramaiah pointed out.
“Is it not ironic that you snatch away their fair share and have increased cess and surcharges?” the CM said.
Calling himself a Ram Bhakt, Siddaramaiah went on to say that people who revere Ram and Hanuman do not need to make a show of their devotion.
“Personally, for me, reciting the promise by Ram, by Bhimrao Ambedkar, Hanuman is important,” said the CM. “I have continued implementing the teachings of Basavanna, of equality, by walking the talk.”
Ram sees in his devotees his truth, by being true to his words and not his religion, he said. “Ram expects from politicians only to build a Ram Rajya full of peace, peace, and co-existence.” Siddaramaiah also stated that he is planning to visit Ayodhya. He, however, also made it a point to say that building the temple in Mahadevapura should not be construed as a political statement.
Siddaramaiah also criticised the BJP for “falsely” portraying opposition parties as against Lord Ram and claimed that the saffron party had malicious intentions of trying to obstruct the ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
Leaders of the BJP had launched a sharp attack on the state administration for not declaring January 22 a holiday and labelled it an “anti-Hindu” government.
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