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Telangana Governor slams DMK MP over Ram Mandir remark: 'Priests built temples, kings celebrated'
The opposition leaders of the INDIA bloc have been questioning the BJP government over the timing of the Ayodhya Ram Temple event.
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Monday came down heavily on DMK MP TR Balu for calling the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at Ram Temple in Ayodhya a ‘political event’. The governor questioned the motives behind the opposition's reluctance to attend the event and accused them of politicising a ‘sacred festival’.
"Who is politicising it? Who is attending it (Pranpratishtha) or who is not attending it? Why are they not attending? Because they think it is a political festival. In spite of the invitation, they are not attending because it is God's festival. It is a long dream for each and every person," remarked Governor Soundararajan.
The Telangana Governor went on to cite historical examples, including the involvement of Tamil kings and emperors in the construction and celebration of temples.
"Our Prime Minister, as I cited, all Tamil kings and emperors built temples, even if the temple was built by priests, it is the king who celebrated it. They put forward the festival first. 'Kumbhabhishekam' was initiated by them. When the Tamil culture has been like that, then how can they object Prime Minister attending the programme?... It is the politicisation by them," she asserted.
DMK MP TR Balu had expressed reservations about the Pranpratishtha ceremony, set to be held on January 22, suggesting that it was being used for political gains.
"The inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Temple is not a spiritual event; rather, it is a political one. The BJP, ever since they came to power in 2014, has not fulfilled their electoral promises. The party has no qualms about not fulfilling its promises. It is trying to divert the attention of the people by showing the construction of the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya as their achievement," Baalu said.
"Using devotion for political reasons and the vote bank is against India's sovereignty and the constitution, which is not good for the future of the country. It is condemnable that the BJP is using a temple event like this," he added.
