"My religion has not taught me to embrace a place of worship built on hatred": Abhishek Banerjee

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 21 : Ahead of the Ram Temple inauguration, which is set to be held on Monday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday said that his religion has not taught him to embrace any place of worship which is built over hatred, violence and dead bodies.
"My religion has not taught me to accept and embrace a place of worship, whether it be a mandir, masjid, church or Gurudwara, which has been built over hatred, violence and the dead bodies of innocents. Period!," Abhishek Banerjee posted on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform rituals to mark the 'Pran Pratishtha'.
A team of priests led by Lakshmikant Dixit will lead the main rituals. Several celebrities and noted personalities have also been invited to the ceremony.
TMC's INDIA bloc ally Congress has declined the invitation extended to its senior leaders--Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury--for the 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the grand event is "clearly a Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh event".
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said that by turning down the invitation for Pran Pratishtha extended to the leaders of the grand old party, Congress is creating problems for itself.
The Union Minister said that people all over the world are happy and everyone is in a celebration mood.
"The entire country is celebrating it. People all over the world are happy. They (Congress) are creating problems for themselves. We are in a celebration mood," he said.