"If everyone will work together for Lord Ram...": VHP president Alok Kumar
Jan 11, 2024
New Delhi [India], January 11 : With the Congress declining the invitation for the Ram Mandir "inauguration ceremony," calling it a "BJP/RSS event," International Working President Vishva Hindu Parishad Alok Kumar on Thursday said that if everyone would work together for Lord Ram, then there would not be any political gain or loss.
The pran prathishta of Lord Rama idol in the grand temple in Ayodhya will be held on January 22.
"We invited the Prime Minister and also the Leader of Opposition. We also invited the BJP president and chiefs of other parties. If everyone will work together for Lord Ram, then there will not be any political gain or loss," Kumar told ANI.
"If one political party works for Lord Ram and the other parties oppose, then will there be no consequences?" he added.
The Congress said on Wednesday that Lord Ram is worshipped by millions of people in the country and 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 the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain," the party said.
"While abiding by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and honouring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event," it added.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi also slammed Congress for declining the invitation to attend Pran Pratishtha of the Ram Temple.
He claimed that the public is increasingly distancing itself from the Congress party due to such decisions.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sangh Parivar leaders of disrespecting Lord Ram and the nation's 140 crore people by politicising a religious event.
He emphasised the Congress party's consistent support for the construction of Ram Mandir and respecting the court's verdict.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also slammed the BJP for going ahead with "inauguration of an incomplete temple".
"Much to think about as the nation braces itself for the Jan 22 inauguration by a political leader of an incomplete temple, with priests relegated to supporting roles in a pre-election political spectacle," Tharoor said in a post on X.
Preparations are underway in full swing for the Ram Temple 'Pran Pratishtha' on January 22, which will be attended by dignitaries and people from all walks of life.
