Even as the Congress on Friday again hit out at the BJP for turning the Ayodhya Ram Temple inauguration into a “political event”, senior party leader Karan Singh said that after the Supreme Court's 2019 judgment in the Ram Janmabhoomi case “there should be no hesitation in attending the function, if invited”. In a statement, 92-year-old Singh, who is the son of Jammu and Kashmir’s last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, said he had received the "beautiful invitation" to the "historic pran pratishtha ceremony” but would not be able to attend it because of medical reasons. “As a Raghuvanshi myself, and having made a modest personal donation of Rs 11 lakh towards the construction, it would have been a great pleasure to attend. Regretfully, nearing 93, it will not be possible for me to do so on medical grounds … After the Supreme Court judgement there should be no hesitation in attending the function, if invited.” The statement of Karan Singh, whose life, in many ways, is deeply intertwined with the tumultuous journey of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947, came amid the controversy triggered by the Congress top leadership’s decision to turn down the invitation for the Ram Mandir event. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge — who had been invited along with Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the party’s Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury — on Friday said, “As far as attending the function, those who have faith (aastha) can go tomorrow or the day after. I have made it clear on January 6 itself. It is not correct to attack us and this is a conspiracy of the BJP.” He added, “We do not want to hurt anyone, any religion, any guru. This is not our issue. Our only issue is what (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji has done for the people on unemployment, inflation, border issues and the Chinese (intrusions) and what is their foreign policy. The poor who have been destroyed and are harassed.we are concerned about them and are asking him about them rather than this.” At a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera alleged that the consecration ceremony was not being held keeping in mind religious procedures. “Does anybody go to God’s temple on invitation? Do we wait for an invitation? And if an invitation does not come, will we not go?” Khera asked. The Congress leader asked why he should tolerate workers of one party becoming the "middlemen" between him and his God. “Is this programme religious? If this programme is religious, then is it being done as per rituals and as per the Dharma Shastras? … Has the programme’s format been decided as per the advice of the Shankaracharyas of all the four peeths and under their supervision?”Khera asked, adding that the Shankaracharyas had stated that a consecration ceremony cannot be held in an incomplete temple. “If this programme is not religious, then this programme is political.” Khera alleged that the BJP’s IT Cell had launched a campaign against the Shankaracharyas. “Religion, policy, and faith can be seen nowhere in this entire ceremony. Only politics is visible,” he said, adding that questions were being raised about the date of the ceremony. “This date has been decided with the elections in mind. For one person's political tamasha, we cannot allow . (anyone to play) with our aastha and God.” Pointing out that the UP Congress had decided to visit Ayodhya for “darshan” on January 15, Congress social media head Supriya Shrinate accused the BJP of attempting to divide “Sanatana Dharma”. She said, “The Congress regards personal faith as supreme. We have gone to temples, churches and mosques and will keep going as per personal beliefs.”
