As the day of the 'pran pratishtha', or consecration, of the idol at Ayodhya’s Ram temple draws close and with Congress's statement on BJP's invitation creating uproar, the politics around Ram temple has intensified with leaders from across parties speaking up on Ram Mandir. RJD MP Manoj Jha on Thursday said that there is a direct connection between him and Lord Ram and he does not need the BJP to have a relationship with his god.
"There is a direct connection between me and Lord Ram. Gandhi did not become a devotee of Lord Ram by going to the temple, that concept was inside him, and that is why he went to heaven and went saying 'Hey Ram'...", Manoj Jha said.
National Spokesperson for Congress Dr Shama Mohamed while speaking to news agency PTI said, "We do not want to involve God or Lord Ram in politics. They (BJP) will do anything to win the elections, and that's why they are are holding the (Pran Pratistha) ceremony before the Lok Sabha elections."
Speaking on the Congress declining invitation to attend 'pran pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi told ANI, "This is Nehru's Congress, this is not Gandhi's Congress. Mahatma Gandhi used to sing 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' and today Congress is not attending the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony. This shows Congress is against Hindu religion and Hindutva..."
Congress on Wednesday declined the invitation to attend the ceremony in Ayodhya calling it a “RSS/BJP” event.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have “respectfully” declined the invitation.
Reacting to Congress's decision several leaders of the BJP have bashed Congress and have called it "Anti-Ram".