'Nation Hung Up On Ram Temple': Sam Pitroda Stirs Row Over Ayodhya Event. BJP Hits Back At Congress
Congress leader Sam Pitroda slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the inaugural ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya next month.
Barb trade between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the consecration ceremony continued on Wednesday as Indian Overseas Congress Chairman Sam Pitroda slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the democracy is being undermined in the process.
He targeted Modi for not holding a press conference and naming a stadium in his own name.
“So there are signals I'm getting which say we are in the wrong direction. When a nation is involved in Ram Temple, that bothers me. To me, religion is a personal thing,” Pitroda said on Wednesday according to ANI.
“Don't confuse it with the national agenda. The national agenda should focus on education, employment, growth, economy, inflation, health, environment, and pollution. This is not how you build a modern nation...I don't care what religion you practise. I have to respect you for who you are, and not what religion you follow,” he added.
#WATCH | On Ram Temple, Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda says, "I'm worried about it because too much importance is given to religion. I see that democracy is being undermined. When the Prime Minister of a country for 10 years does not give a press conference.… pic.twitter.com/765aIzLSzt
— ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2023
Further attacking the saffron party, Pitroda said: “I'm not going to dictate what you eat, or what you pray for, that's your personal freedom. And when the entire nation is hung up on Ram Temple and Ram Janmabhoomi, it really upsets me and bothers me.”
The Congress leader said religion should not be “nationalised” and used for political gains.
“A Prime Minister is spending time in temples all the time. It bothers me. I would rather have him go to schools, libraries and scientific institutions and not visit lots of temples,” he said further.
‘Sam Pitroda Good Example Of…’: BJP Hits Back
Reacting to Pitroda’s statement, Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, "Sam Pitroda is a very good example of how far moved Congress is from the psyche of India, from the soul of India."
Union minister Meenkashi Lekhi also trained her guns saying, “India is secular because the majority population is Hindu.”
“There are 68 such nations where Hinduism is not regarded as a religion even… ask Sam Pitroda as to what he really wants. A place where Ram Mandir was destroyed couldn't have been rebuilt during their (Congress) regime,” he added.
"Ram Mandir is not built for the people who don't believe in him, but for those who idolise him,” she added.
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