The Congress party has announced its decision to not attend the grand Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22nd. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will be giving the mega event a miss.
The move has set off a political debate as other key opposition figures remain undecided on their participation. AITC’s Mamata Banerjee, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury and CPI’s Brinda Karat have also declined their invites for the idol consecration rituals.
Meanwhile, the likes of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray, and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav are yet to confirm. BSP head Mayawati and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar are also among opposition leaders on the fence.
Congress has alleged the ruling BJP is politicizing the temple inauguration to reap electoral dividends. However, VHP Joint General Secretary Alok Kumar clarified that invites have been extended to leaders across party lines. BJP veteran L6K Advani will be gracing the high-profile ceremony.
VIDEO | "We do not want to involve God or Lord Ram in politics. They (BJP) will do anything to win the elections, and that's why they are are holding the (Pran Pratistha) ceremony before the Lok Sabha elections," says Congress leader @drshamamohd. pic.twitter.com/58hqxut0yB
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 11, 2024
The consecration rites, set to be attended by Prime Minister Modi, will culminate decades of legal and ideological struggle by the Hindu right-wing for a Ram temple at the disputed Babri Masjid site. The inaugural event signifies ideological and political consolidation for the BJP.
Congress seems wary of lending legitimacy to this bitterly divisive project months ahead of general elections. Its absence also spotlights opposition disunity despite Anti-BJP consolidation attempts in recent years. Symbolic regional satraps like Mamata and Nitish skipping the event could have helped mount a united front against BJP’s religious mobilization.
