'Being Ram Devotee Is No Sin': Former UP Congress Chief Accepts Ram Temple Event Invitation

Former UP Congress chief Nirmal Khatri said he would attend the Ram Temple inauguration ceremony though the party top brass has declined the invitation.

Former Congress chief for the Uttar Pradesh unit, Nirmal Khatri on Tuesday confirmed that he would attend the January 22 consecration ceremony at Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Khatri accepted the invitation after party top brass including Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge refused to participate in the event. Party leader Rahul Gandhi, who would also not attend the inauguration ceremony, had trained guns on the Bharatiya Janata Party over the event calling it Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "political programme". 

Taking to social media platform X, Khatri said he accepted the invitation. "Being a devotee of Ram is not a sin, I am proud of this devotion," he said.

In the same post Khatri denounced "hypocrisy of religion" and said he was "against the tactics of taking political benefits with the help of religion." 

He also addressed the "inability" of the top leaders of his party in attending the event and said there is no instruction from the party for the party members to not participate in the same. 

"Hence I accept the invitation on 22nd and will participate in it," Khatri said. 

The development comes two days after Congress leaders and workers inlcuding party's state unit chief Ajay Rai reached Ayodhya on Monday to take a holy dip in the Saryu river and pay obeisance at temples. 

Ajay Rai along with party leaders Avinash Pandey, Deepender Hooda, and Akhilesh Pratap Singh offered prayers at Ayodhya's Hanuman Garhi temple.