The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on opposition leaders who declined invitations to attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22, terming them “anti-Sanatana.” In a black and white poster shared on social media, the BJP featured images of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Mallikarjun Kharge, along with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury.
The caption accompanying the poster on Twitter read, “Recognize, the faces of the Sanatan opponents who rejected the invitation for the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony.” The move comes after the aforementioned leaders refused to attend the ceremony, criticizing it as a “political project for electoral gains.”
Congress Leaders’ Refusal: Sonia Gandhi, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Mallikarjun Kharge from the Congress party cited the Ram temple inauguration as a “political project” orchestrated by the RSS/BJP for electoral benefits. In a statement, they emphasized that religion is a personal matter, but the BJP has turned the Ayodhya temple into a political project. They accused the BJP of advancing the incomplete temple’s inauguration for electoral gains.
BJP’s Reaction: Responding to the opposition leaders’ refusal, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi criticized the Congress, invoking India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Trivedi claimed that this is “Nehru’s Congress, not Gandhi’s Congress,” pointing out that Mahatma Gandhi used to sing ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram,’ while the Congress is now skipping the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony, suggesting an opposition against Hindu religion and Hindutva.
Other Declined Invitations: Apart from Congress leaders, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, and Sitaram Yechury of the CPI(M) also declined the invitation. Reportedly, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed his decision not to attend the event.
Event Details: The Ram temple consecration ceremony is highly anticipated and is scheduled for January 22 in Ayodhya, with preliminary rituals starting on January 16. The BJP’s aggressive response to the opposition leaders’ refusal reflects the political sensitivity and significance surrounding the event.
Dhairya Saraswat