‘Shankaracharyas Will Purify Ram Temple After I.N.D.I.A. Forms Govt': Maha Congress Chief Nana Patole, Fadnavis Retorts

Nana Patole remarked that Shankaracharyas had opposed the consecration of the deity and that all Shankaracharyas would "purify" the Ayodhya Temple

File photos: Nana Patole (L) & Devendra Fadnavis (R)

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole stirred controversy with his statement proposing the ‘purification’ of the Ram Mandir amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Patole said that if the grand old party’s I.N.D.I.A bloc is voted to power they would undertake the purification of the entire Ram Temple. He remarked that Shankaracharyas had opposed the consecration of the deity and that all Shankaracharyas would "purify" the Ayodhya Temple. 

“Shankaracharyas were opposing this (pran pratishtha). All the four Shankaracharyas will purify the Ram Temple. Ram Darbar will be established in that place. It is not Lord Ram's idol there, but the child form of Ram Lalla," Patole said.

Patole, speaking to ANI on Wednesday, said, “In Ayodhya, the Ram Darbar will be established at the same location. There, it is not a statue of Lord Ram, but the infant firm of Ram Lalla. Narendra Modi worked against the protocol in the construction of the Ram Mandir. We will accomplish it through the religious means”.

Maharashtra DY CM Fadnavis Reacts 

Responding to Maharashtra Congress chief’s remarks, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis issued a sharp rebuttal, “These are those people of Congress party who had challenged the existence of Lord Ram by giving an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India, who had also challenged Ram Setu existence by giving an affidavit”.

“They used to ask the question of whether Ram is imaginary or was it real? They deliberately made the Ram temple issue diverted but Prime Minister Modi got the decision from the court on it and after that, the Ram temple was built. So if the credit for it goes to anyone then it goes to PM Modi and he pays tribute to all the people who tried for 495 years to build the Ram temple,” he added. 

Slamming the grand old party, Fadnavis said, “Congress has not done anything and the biggest thing is that they boycotted the consecration ceremony of Ram temple. Those who deny Ram and boycott the temple, I believe have no right to say this”. 

#WATCH | On Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole's statement regarding Ram Temple, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis says, "These are those people of Congress party who had challenged the existence of Lord Ram by giving an affidavit in the Supreme Court of India, who… pic.twitter.com/iirWhgLBeq

— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently criticised the Congress party, saying, “The present Lok Sabha elections, led by the BJP, want to win 400 seats so that the Congress cannot place a 'lock' on the Ram Temple in Ayodhya." He further said, "They want these seats so that they can ensure that the Congress does not revoke Article 370 in Kashmir." Prime Minister Modi also claimed, "Congress is spreading rumors that if they win 400 Lok Sabha seats, they will amend the Constitution."

The consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple took place on January 22, 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the grand ceremony in Ayodhya. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also attended the ceremony. The construction of the deity was carried out by sculptor Arun Yogiraj from Karnataka.