Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday stated that he will not be able to attend the inauguration ceremony being planned for the Ayodhya Ram Temple, saying it is a "political programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi." Earlier, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, his predecessor Sonia Gandhi and the party’s Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had declined the invitation to attend the event.
Revealing the reason behind not attending the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony, Congress MP stated: "It's a RSS BJP function and I think that is why the Congress President said that he would not go to the function. We are open to all religions, all practices. Even the authorities of the Hindu religion, the biggest authorities of the Hindu religion have made their view public about what they think about the 22nd January function that it is a political function. So it is difficult for us to go to a political function which is designed around the Prime Minister of India and designed around the RSS."
Calling religion a "personal matter," Rahul Gandhi stated that BJP and RSS has made it "political."
When asked about BJP calling Congress and Gandhi family as "anti-Hindu", Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said: "Someone who actually believes in religion keeps a personal relation with it. He uses religion in his life. Those who keep a public relation with religion, try to take advantage of it. I do not try to take advantage of my religion, I have no interest. I try to live as per the principles of religion. I behave nicely with people, and I respect them. When says something to me, I don't respond with arrogance, I listen to them. I don't spread hatred. For me, this is the Hindu religion. I follow this in life. But I don't need to wear it over my shirt. Those who do not believe in it, need to wear it over their shirt."
On Rahul Gandhi's remark, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said: "Rahul Gandhi lives in this 'la-la' world, in my opinion. The people of India are wise enough. They understand Rahul Gandhi's politics. And we will leave it to the people of India to decide what answer they should give to Rahul Gandhi."
The Pran Pratishtha programmemememe, commemorating Shri Ram Lalla's pran prathistha, is scheduled for January 22 at 12:20 p.m., on the auspicious Abhijit Muhurta of Paush Shukla Dwadashi.