War of words between BJP and Congress over Ram Temple opening ceremony

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been slamming the Congress after the Grand Old Party on Wednesday announced that its party's top leaders would not attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.

The BJP called the Congress 'anti-Ram' after the party declared that top leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were not going to Ayodhya on January 22.

In a letter shared on its official handle on Wednesday, Congress termed the mega consecration ceremony an "RSS/BJP event."

Congress alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP have turned the temple in Ayodhya into a "political project."

WAR OF WORDS

The BJP lashed out at the Congress, saying that the party's stand and its allies have been regularly 'insulting' Hindus and Sanatana Dharma.

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A day after harsh criticism from the BJP, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday endorsed the Congress high command's decision not to attend the ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying the BJP has turned a religious event into a political affair.

He also pointed out that four Shankaracharyas are reported to have boycotted the consecration of the temple "in protest against the misuse of the Ram Mandir for politics," reported PTI.

Siddaramaiah's comments turned the issue into a war of words as other BJP leaders also responded to the Karnataka CM's comments. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that "Siddaramaiah is instigating some people to curtail DK Shivakumar. It is his game plan... Out of the last 14 years, as quoted by Siddaramaiah, Karnataka tableau has been given an opportunity in the Republic Day Parade 10 times. It was rejected in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. Whose government was there at that time?..."

BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav said that Congress has opposed the Ram Janmabhoomi right from the beginning and left no stone unturned in putting all obstacles that it could.

Karnataka BJP President CT Ravi told ANI, "Congress has always been against Hindutva. The Somnath Temple was reconstructed by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Babu Rajendra Prasad, and KM Munshi. Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister during that time. He didn't visit Somnath. So how can the present leadership of Congress go to Ayodhya?... First, they were lamenting that they did not receive an invitation, and when they did, they refused to accept it."

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi told ANI that Congress boycotted the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building and the G20 Summit as well.

"From 2004 to 2009, Congress boycotted Kargil Vijay Diwas. The party did not issue any statement for 10 days after the Pokhran nuclear test conducted in May 1998 under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government," Trivedi said.

RAM TEMPLE INAUGURATION

The Ram temple in Ayodhya will be inaugurated on January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and over 6,000 people, including celebrities, industrialists, and others, expected to attend the ceremony.

The first phase of the Ram temple is nearing completion, and preparations are in full swing for the big day.

Ahead of the event, the volunteers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), have been reaching out to people across the country and inviting them to join the consecration ceremony by offering prayers at temples in their neighbourhoods.