Congress party has stated that their supremo Sonia Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Leader of the party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will not attend the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha event on 22nd January. In a statement, Jairam Ramesh, the General SecAdhir Ranjan Chowdhuryretary (Communications) of Congress has stated that the three top leaders of the party have declined to attend the event because it is a ‘BJP-RSS event’.
Congress president & LoP Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury decline the invitation "to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event": Jairam Ramesh, General Secretary… pic.twitter.com/REc503PBVv
— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2024
“Religion is a personal matter. But the RSS/BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain. While abiding by the 2019 SC judgment and honoring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Shri Mallikarjuna Kharge, Smt Sonia Gandhi and Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event”, the statement shared by Jairam Ramesh read.
It is notable here that Congress has always been opposed to the Ram Mandir, even going to the extent of denying the existence of Lord Ram. Congress leader Kapil Sibal was a part of the legal battle against the construction of Ram Mandir, representing the Sunni Waqf Board, and over decades, the Congress has used all political, vocal, and ideological tool to deride those who were working to get a Temple constructed at Ram Janmabhoomi.
It is notable here that Former prime ministers Dr Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda have also been invited. Heads of all leading political parties, and former President Pratibha Patil have also been invited to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony.
4 years after the historic Supreme Court verdict and after centuries of waiting for Hindus, finally the Ram Mandir is ready at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and Ram Lalla’s idol will undergo Pran Pratishtha in the temple on January 22.