‘Not surprised’: Karnataka BJP prez BY Vijayendra on Cong's decision not to attend Ram temple consecration

BY Vijayendra hit out at the grand old party, saying that he was not surprised by their decision not to attend the Lord Ram consecration event.

Published on: Jan 11, 2024, 15:33:26 IST

By Yamini C S

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A political slugfest ensued in the southern state of Karnataka after the Congress party announced its decision not to attend the consecration of Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh on January 22.

Former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa's son B Y Vijayendra. (ANI)

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday hit out at the grand old party, saying that he was not surprised by the decision and that the party has been against the Lord Ram temple from day one.

"The BJP is not surprised by the decision of the Congress. Their intention was very clear from day one. When Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992, the next day BJP ruled state governments were dismissed by the then Congress government. On every occasion, the grand old party has proved that they are against the Rama Janmabhoomi movement," Vijayendra said.

READ | ‘Karnataka govt to form panels to oversee implementation of poll guarantees’: CM Siddaramaiah

These statements come after the Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury "respectfully declined" from attending the much-anticipated and grand inauguration of the Lord Ram temple in the holy city.

In this light, the Karnataka BJP leader alleged that the Congress never believed in Lord Ram, adding that the Siddaramaiah-led government in the state may even withdraw its decision to conduct special prayers in temples under the Karnataka Hindu Religious Endowment Department on January 22, news agency PTI reported.

READ | Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah defends Congress' decision to skip 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony

"Their mindset is very clear. In spite of getting the invitation for the inauguration of Ram temple, the rejection by the Congress party and their reluctance to attend the auspicious event, clearly shows that they are upset with the way things are going on, especially after the outcome of the election results in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh," Vijayendra further said.

"They have also realised that the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are going to create history by coming back to power for the third consecutive term," he added.

(With inputs from PTI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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