Ram Mandir: After party refuses invitation, local Congress leaders rush to Ayodhya

Days after Congress officially refused an invitation to attend the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, senior local party leaders on Monday (Jan 15) made a beeline for the north Indian temple city of Ayodhya, where the temple is located,on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

Rajya Sabha MP and Haryana Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajai Rai, senior leader Avdesh Pratap Singh and Avinash Pande were among those who made the trip to Ayodhya and took a holy dip in the Saryu River. They later went to seek the blessings of Ram Lalla as well.

Quizzed if the decision to visit Ram Lalla was in violation of the party line,Pande said party chiefMallikarjun Kharge had made it clear that "those who have faith can go".

Hooda added:"I came last year too. Today on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti, I have to gaze upon Ram Lalla and seek his blessings. This is how I recharge."

What did Congress say?

Last Thursday (Jan 11), Congress issued an official statement, stating it was respectfully decliningthe invitation to attend the ceremony. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, were among the few leaders who were invited.

"Lord Ram is worshipped by millions in our country. Religion is a personal matter. But the RSS/BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya,"read the release.

The Congress has alleged that the inauguration of the 'incomplete temple' has been brought forward by the ruling party 'for electoral gains' and that the consecration ceremony is 'an RSS/BJP event'.

Kharge said it was not Congress' intention to hurt anyone's religious sentiments but alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi has politicised the issue.

"Our issue is this - what work is the PM doing to ensure jobs for the public? What steps is he taking to control inflation? What is he doing for poor people… People having faith can go (to the temple) today... they can go tomorrow also," said Kharge.

Ram temple consecration ceremony

PMModi, alongside several eminent personalities, will be attending the consecration ceremony of the temple on January 22, over three years after laying the foundation stone (Bhumi puja) in August 2020.

The temple is central to the beliefs of Hindus and has been built after a long legal process which culminated with the landmark decision by the Supreme Court in 2019.

(With inputs from agencies)