On the day the Congress high command decided to skip the January 22 consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department minister Vikramaditya Singh said, “I remain committed to my earlier statement. I intend to visit Ayodhya not as a politician but as the son of the late Virbhadra Singh, a devout follower of Lord Ram. It's my moral duty as his son to attend. How can I refuse this putra-dharam (son's duty)?” Speaking to The Indian Express over the phone, Vikramaditya Singh, son of five-time CM Virbhadra Singh and state party chief Pratibha Singh, stated, “I've conveyed my views to senior party leaders. I received the invitation not for myself but out of respect for my late father. He was involved in the Ram Jannmabhoomi movement. However, I want to clarify, I oppose the RSS-VHP, BJP's ideology of Hindu Rashtra, and their polarization policies. I am a dedicated Congress worker loyal to its ideology.” He added, “Yesterday, our honorable CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also mentioned that they did not require an invitation to visit Ayodhya.” Vikramaditya Singh, an MLA from Shimla (rural), was invited by RSS-VHP to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. Upon receiving the invitation, he had said, “This isn't a political matter. I feel privileged to be among the select invitees from Himachal Pradesh, and thank the RSS and VHP for this honour bestowed upon my family. This is a rare chance to be a part of history, and as a Hindu devoted to the dev samaj, it's my responsibility to witness Lord Ram's pran pratishtha on this occasion.” Meanwhile, another state minister, Anirudh Singh, who had expressed a desire to go to Ayodhya, said, “I mentioned we would go to Ayodhya in February, and I stand by that statement.” Anirudh Singh is the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development minister. While some interpret these ministers' views as divergent from the Congress central leadership's stance, several party workers and leaders in Himachal Pradesh, revered as ‘Dev ‘Bhoomi’, perceive these statements differently. "People in Himachal Pradesh hold deep religious sentiments. As Dev Bhoomi, Lord Ram's worship transcends political lines. If someone decides to go to Ayodhya on January 22, it's their personal choice. The BJP's political use of Lord Ram's name, though, is morally questionable," said Surinder Chauhan, Shimla's Mayor and a senior Congress leader. Earlier, CM Sukhu had said, “Lord Ram holds a central place in our faith, and we will follow the path he showed." A Congress leader who did not want to be named worried that the temple stand may backfire on the party. “The Lok Sabha elections are looming. In both 2014 and 2019, our party failed to secure a single Lok Sabha seat out of the state's four. The BJP capitalized on the Ram Mandir issue, likely making it pivotal in the upcoming parliamentary elections,” the leader said. Independent MLA Hoshyar Singh from Dehra constituency in Himachal stressed, "The Ram Temple issue is crucial for Himachal Pradesh. Solely viewing it through a political lens would be a disservice. Here, supporting the consecration ceremony enjoys widespread consensus."
