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Would Sonia Gandhi have been invited if it was political: VHP on Ram Temple
VHP leader Alok Kumar said, “If they (opposition leaders) come, we will welcome them with respect.”
Vishwa Hindu Parishad international working president Alok Kumar on Sunday said there is no politics behind the invitations to the Ram Temple inauguration event on January 22. All chiefs of the major political parties have been invited to the ceremony. "Had there been any politics, would Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge ji been invited?" the VHP president said. "I went to invite Kharge ji personally. VHP and Trust officials went to invite Adhir ji and Ram Mandir panel chief Nripendra Mishra went to invite Sonia Gandhi. We want them to come. And if we are inviting the opposition leaders, then what is the problem in inviting PM Modi?" the VHP leader said.
Ram Temple event: List of rituals in Ayodhya between January 16 to January 22
"We have invited Sonia Gandhi as she is the chairman of the Congress Parliamentary Board chairman. Had there been any politics, why would she be invited? And I am saying this again if they come, we will welcome them with respect. All presidents of major political parties have been invited. This event belongs to the entire country and they all are welcome," the VHP leader said.
The Congress has not yet clarified its official stance on whether Sonia Gandhi, Kharge and Adhir Chowdhury will attend the event as it has already spelt trouble. While several INDIA party leaders are in favour of attending the grand event of the Ram Temple consecration, Kerala Samastha, an association of eminent Sunni scholars, initially condemned the Congress for its indecisiveness.
Ram Temple event: Who was invited, who is planning to miss
INDIA ally Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Hemant Soren said he would like to attend the event if he is invited. Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) slammed the BJP for not inviting Uddhav Thackeray -- and for hijacking the event. Congress leader Sam Pitroda drew flak for saying that Ram Temple becoming a national issue bothered him, but the party dissociated itself from the comment and said it was Sam's personal opinion.
Controversy in Kerala over Ram Temple event
The Congress has accused the ruling CPM in Kerala of creating controversy over the invitation to the Ram Temple event. Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan said, "The CPI(M) is politicising Ayodhya. The Congress, as a party, has not been invited to the Ram Temple consecration ceremony. A few individuals have been invited. The party will think about it and take a decision on it."
Muslim League and Samastha, meanwhile, have softened their stance and said political parties are free to take independence decision on this matter.
