Expressing skepticism regarding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's recent visit to the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Manoj Tiwari on Monday the Delhi CM's apparent shift in stance, citing confusion between his Ayodhya pilgrimage and his purported alignment with an "anti-Sanatan alliance (I.N.D.I.A bloc)".
Tiwari told reporters, "When I got to know that Arvind Kejriwal is going for Ram Lalla’s darshan, I thought someone was joking with me. Now I couldn’t understand what Kejriwal’s real stand is; the one where he visits Ayodhya or one where he is in an anti-Sanatan alliance."
Accusing Kejriwal of engaging in appeasement politics for the past nine years, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that Kejriwal's Ayodhya visit was an attempt to "salvage his political standing". Sachdeva said, "When the entire country is blessing PM Modi for Ram Mandir, Kejriwal went to Ayodhya today to save his existence," as reported by news agency PTI.
On Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, along with their respective families, undertook a 75-minute visit to the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya. The leaders offered prayers and expressed their profound experiences.
"I had the good fortune to have the darshan of Ram Lalla. I felt immense peace after offering prayers at the shrine that cannot be described in words," said Kejriwal, as quoted by news agency PTI.
Kejriwal took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share pictures of the divine darshan, where both leaders and their families were seen seeking blessings at the grand temple. The tweet conveyed prayers for the progress of the nation and the welfare of humanity, concluding with "Jai Shri Ram".
While Kejriwal's Ayodhya visit has garnered attention, top Congress leaders met to discuss seat-sharing arrangements with parties within the I.N.D.I.A bloc.
In a separate event, MLAs from Uttar Pradesh, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, offered prayers at the temple on Sunday, while opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party legislators abstained from the visit.
Kejriwal, originally invited to the January 22 Pran Pratishtha ceremony, expressed a desire to visit the temple later with his family. The consecration of the Ram temple on January 22 saw the attendance of various dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a significant milestone in the nation's history.