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Congress accuses BJP of ‘politicising’ Ram temple consecration ceremony
Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary have declined the invitation to attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony
Congress leader Pawan Khera on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicising the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at Ram Temple in Ayodhya, referring to the recent refusals by four Shankaracharyas (pontiffs of Hindu shrines) from attending the consecration ceremony on January 22.
“There are rules and regulations for the consecration of any temple. There are religious scriptures. Shankaracharyas of all the four ‘peeths’ have clearly said that an incomplete temple cannot be consecrated. In such a situation, if this programme is not religious, it is clearly political,” Khera said.
“In this entire event, faith, religion, and policy cannot be seen. Only politics is visible here… How can we watch a political game be played with our God and faith for one man’s political spectacle? It is not acceptable that people of a political party are sitting as middlemen between me and my God…you are positioning yourself as a contractor of my religion and there is no bigger sin than this,” the Congress leader said while addressing the media at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi.
Further, he asked, “Is God’s temple visited by invitation? Will a political party decide which category of person will visit the temple on which date? Will a political party decide when I go to meet my God? No person can invite anyone to the temple and neither does he have the power to stop anyone from going to the temple.”
Khera said the BJP has picked the date of the consecration based on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, and not by almanacs.
“Are you above God, above Shankaracharya? You are above the Hindu religion. In your entire cabinet, you will be seen alone. You will control the Election Commission. You will control the media. You will control the CAG. Now you will control religion also?” Khera said, targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Congress spokesperson and former journalist Supriya Shrinate, also present at the media interaction, stressed that religion is a matter of personal choice and hence should not be politicised.
“The BJP-manufactured hate and anger has reached extreme limits in the last 48 hours. Whatever religion is, it’s a matter of personal belief. So, when religion is a matter of personal choice, why is the matter being politicised so much? Religious rituals, their methods should be done by the people who are familiar with it,” she said.
Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary have declined the invitation to attend the consecration ceremony.
“Lord Ram is worshipped by millions in our country and religion is a personal matter,” the party said in its statement.
