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Congress flag damaged outside Ram temple as party leaders visit Ayodhya
In a video, people are seen snatching the flag and defacing it. Party supporters are then seen fighting with vandals, which led to a police intervention.
Ruckus ensued outside the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Monday after few people were seen damaging the Congress flag outside the temple, leading to a scuffle.
In a video posted by news agency ANI on X, formerly Twitter, people are seen snatching the flag and damaging it. Party supporters are then seen fighting with vandals, which led to a police intervention.
As the ruckus grew, police officials were seen breaking the tension and dispersing the public.
Ayodhya's Congress Mahila in-charge Renu Rai said to reporters, “Some anti-social elements snatched our party flag and abused our party workers. This is a shameful and condemnable act. The temple (Ram temple) belongs to everyone.”
Despite the Congress top leadership declining the invitation to the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, the party's Uttar Pradesh unit was committed to its plan to proceed with the visit to the city during "Makar Sankranti" on Monday.
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai reiterated that he and other Congress leaders will proceed with their programme of visiting the temple town on 'Makar Sankranti'. He told reporters, “Isn't the statue of the deity Ram 'pran prathistit' ...we have come to pay respect to the god on a more auspicious day of Makar Sankranti.”
Among those en route to Ayodhya are Ajay Rai, Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra and Congress national secretary in-charge Dheeraj Gurjar. Senior leaders Deepender Singh Hooda and Avinash Pande will be flying to Ayodhya, where they plan to pay homage to Ram Lalla, according to a press release from the Congress.
Speaking to reporters, Hooda said, “Lord Ram is the symbol of our faith. We believe that Ram belongs to everyone, and Lord Ram is within every person. This is not the first time I have come to Ayodhya. I came here a year ago to offer prayers to Ram Lalla.”
The BJP criticised the Congress leaders, labelling them as opportunists willing to go to any extent for political gains. In response, the Congress retaliated.
"Sankrant is an auspicious occasion and we wanted to have the 'darshan' of Ram Lalla and offer prayers as our ancestors have done. Calling it political is a mistake and sin by the BJP. The truth is that BJP is doing dirty politics in the name of religion," Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said as per PTI.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party president Sonia Gandhi, and leader of the party in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury declined the invitation last week. The Congress leadership, while respectfully rejecting the invitation, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of turning the ceremony into a "political project" for electoral gains and emphasised that religion is a "personal matter".
