Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the controversy over Congress boycotting the Ram Temple consecration event on January 22 is nothing but BJP’s conspiracy as the party already explained its stand that the intention is not to hurt any religious sentiment but to reject the BJP/RSS event aimed at political dividend.
Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury won’t attend the event, the Congress said issuing a statement triggering a major controversy as the BJP stepped up attack on the Congress calling them anti-Hindu. While Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said they should not have been invited in the first place, and attending the event could have reduced their earlier sin, BJP leaders shared a photo of Rahul Gandhi visiting Babur Tomb in Kabul in 2005 and said Congress’s hatred is only for the Hindus. Some Congress leaders too said the leadership should have attended the event.
The BJP on Friday shared a video saying Congress’s tradition has always been to oppose Lord Ram. The Congress, in retaliation, asked why the BJP was not questioning the four Shankaracharyas who won’t be attending the event.
Uttar Pradesh Congress committee leaders will visit the temple on January 15, the Congress said. “The first question is does one go to God’s temple after an invitation? Be it a temple, church or mosque, will we wait for an invitation? Who will decide on what date and which section of people will go? Will a political party decide? We want to know how the date for it was decided. The election has not happened till date, after seeing the election the date has been declared. (The date has been selected keeping elections in mind)” Congress leader Pawan Khera said.
Four Shankaracharyas have decided to stay away from the pran pratishtha ceremony, though two of them supported the event. Shankaracharya of Shringeri Peeth Swami Bharati Teertj and Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peerh Swami Sadananda Saraswati said the inauguration of the Ram Temple on January 22 will be a matter of joy for the followers of Sanatan Dharma.
Shankaracharya of Puri Nischalananda Saraswati earlier said he would not attend the ceremony and he was conscious of the dignity of his position. “The country’s Prime Minister will reside in the sanctum sanctorum, touch the idol, and perform the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony. This has been given a political hue, if there is to be the Pran Pratishta of Lord Rama, it should be according to scriptural guidelines. I won’t oppose it, nor will I attend. I have taken my stance. Let’s not mix half-truths and half-lies; everything should align with scriptural knowledge,” Nischalananda said.
Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarananda of Jyotir Math, Uttarakhand said the construction was not yet complete
