BJP shares old photo of Rahul Gandhi at Babur's Tomb amid Ram Mandir invite row

After the Congress said its top leadership won't be attending the Ram Temple inauguration ceremony set to take place in Ayodhya on January 22, Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma shared an old photo of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Babur's Tomb in Afghanistan, asking why the Gandhi family "hated Hindus".

The Congress on Wednesday rejected the invitation to attend the 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony of Lord Ram's idol and the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22.

The party alleged that it was an "RSS-BJP event" and the temple had been turned into a "political project". This stance has led to a heated exchange between the Congress and the BJP, with the latter accusing the former of being "anti-Hindu."

On Thursday, Himanta Biswa Sarma shared a photo of Rahul Gandhi's visit to Babur's Tomb in Afghanistan in 2005, highlighting how three generations of the Gandhi family had visited the site.

He further asked, "Why is there so much hatred for Ram Lala? Why do you hate Hindus so much?" in response to the Congress' decision to not attend the Ram Temple inauguration and idol consecration ceremony.

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Meanwhile, Congress leaders have raised questions over the politicisation of the Ram Temple consecration ceremony.

Defending his party's decision, Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi said that going to a temple or mosque is a matter of one's personal devotion. "Why does the BJP want to do politics over it? Actually, it is the politics being done by the BJP that is disgusting. Politicising people's devotion is the most disgusting politics of the BJP," Pratapgarhi said.