Congress says will not attend ‘BJP-RSS’ Ram Temple event; INDIA parties set to follow

While declining the invite, the Congress – which has oscillated and vacillated on the issue historically – argued that “religion is a personal matter” but that the Ram Temple was a political project of the BJP and the RSS, which was being turned into a Sangh event on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress dithered for about two weeks, but the leadership felt it should clear the air before Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra kicks off on January 14 to avoid the inevitable decision diverting attention from the yatra. The choice, sources said, was between “the core values of secularism and principles” that the party claims to represent and “getting sucked into the euphoria to neutralise so-called electoral losses”, and that the party took a “long-term view”. “After all, we are a 139-year-old party… we cannot take knee-jerk stands…,” a leader said.

Announcing the Congress decision on Wednesday, Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh said: “Lord Ram is worshipped by millions in our country. Religion is a personal matter. But the RSS, BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain.”

Sources said that the Congress had gauged the sense of parties in the INDIA bloc before announcing its decision. And that top party leaders might visit the temple after the consecration, thus conveying that its move was always about opposing BJP politics and never about faith.

Sources in the Trinamool Congress said its chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will not attend the inauguration either. On Tuesday, Mamata had criticised the BJP for building up the Ram Mandir inauguration as a “gimmick” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta said: “We endorse the Congress line, which is in consonance with what we have been saying all along.”

DMK spokesperson T K S Elangovan said the party would not attend, though it was unclear whether its leadership had been invited for the January 22 event. “Ours is a party that strongly condemned the Babri demolition,” he told The Indian Express.

Party sources said an invitation had come from a local RSS office-bearer to the late DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s Gopalapuram residence 10 days ago. Sources close to the family also said nobody will attend.

The Aam Aadmi Party was non-committal on whether it would attend or not, while saying that its national convener Arvind Kejriwal was yet to receive the invitation.

Party sources said Kejriwal had received a letter a few days ago saying he should block his dates for the Ram Temple consecration ceremony and that a formal invite along with details would follow. No formal invitation has been received yet, party sources said.

Asked about its stand, the JD(U) said the party will be making it clear on Thursday.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar said Tuesday that he had not received any invitation for the January 22 programme, but that he was unlikely to attend if he did. “I will go to Ayodhya in coming time, but will not be going on January 22 as it will be too crowded,” he said.

CPI general secretary D Raja said he had received a communication by email informing him about a formal invitation, which would be extended to him. “Whatever may be, we will not go. They are turning it into a State-sponsored event, which is in violation of the Constitution. The State must remain secular and neutral to all faiths,” he told The Indian Express.

Sources in the VHP had earlier said that the heads of all national parties as also Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thackeray are on the list of invitees. Apart from the Congress and the CPI(M), TMC, BSP, CPI and NCP are recognised national parties in the Opposition space.

BSP chief Mayawati too had hinted earlier that she may skip the event. Commenting on the Ram Temple consecration ceremony, Mayawati on December 21 said: “Our party is secular and our country has people from different religions. They have different religious places, which my party respects. Our party has no objection to the Ram Temple… and whenever the mosque being built in Ayodhya on orders of the court is completed and inaugurated, our party will have no objection to that too.”

However, she added, in the last few years, “politics being done over this is disgusting, sad and worrying”.

At the same time, Mayawati has not clearly said what she plans to do. “Seeing her focus on Muslim votes as she fielded many Muslim candidates in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and in UP urban local body elections last year, she is unlikely to attend the ceremony. But she will announce her final decision in the coming days,” a BSP leader said.

The Congress had in 2019 welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit case, saying it respects the decision and was in favour of construction of a Ram Temple, but was caught in a political dilemma over the invitation after a section argued that the leaders should not “give legitimacy” to the BJP-RSS project and another worried about the electoral fallout staying away would have in the Hindi heartland.

Mamata said on Tuesday: “I was asked, ‘What is your opinion about Ram Mandir?’. Don’t I have anything else to do? Is this the only work? I said religion belongs to different individuals, a festival is for everyone. I believe in the festival,” she said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was indulging in a gimmick. “I have no objection. But it is nobody’s business to neglect the people of other communities.”

On Wednesday, a senior TMC leader, said, “The Chief Minister clearly hinted that she is not ready to go to Ayodhya. However, we think she was waiting for the Congress’s decision. After the Congress announcement, it is obvious we will skip the programme as well.” —With ENS inputs