LORD Ram is a revered figure not just in Hindu religious texts but also the Guru Granth Sahib. And, in Punjab, parties across the spectrum are lending their voice to the crescendo over the Ayodhya temple consecration. On Saturday, senior Congress leader and Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu led a march carrying on his head an idol of 'Ram Lalla', that he later “unveiled”, chanting slogans. There are hoardings across Ludhiana city of former Congress minister and party working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu asking people to celebrate “the biggest Diwali” on January 22, the Ram Temple consecration day. The Narendra Modi government has also asked the people to celebrate the opening of the temple as the festival of lights. Ashu's wife Mamta Ashu, a Congress councillor, has been visiting houses in her municipal ward to distribute akshat (holy rice), which has been transported by RSS outfits from Ayodhya to across the country. Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora told The Indian Express that the party was happy about the “big day”. "Ram is for one and all, and not just one political party. Prime Minister Modi has appealed that people should not go to Ayodhya on January 22 (but visit later). Hence, every devotee should visit Ayodhya afterwards to take blessings. As a devotee, I am happy about it.” Arora says he has received invitations from many temple management committees in Ludhiana for events ahead of the temple inauguration. AAP chief spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang says, "Though there are no specific guidelines for party workers, everyone is doing their bit. It is about religious beliefs. One should not link any vote bank or politics with it." The Akali Dal says that such religious harmony has always been the case in Punjab. Says spokesperson Daljeet Singh Cheema: "In Punjab, all religions celebrate festivals together. It is not a surprise that people from all parties are involved in this event." Over 70 religious leaders from Punjab are invited for the event, including Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Giani Sultan Singh, Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, former SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, Nanaksar Kaleran Jagraon head Baba Lakha Singh, Baba Ghala Singh, Baba Gurdit Singh Namdhari sect head Thakur Uday Singh, and Ahmadiyya Sect head Mirza Masroor Ahmad, apart from other Hindu and Sikh religious leaders. Congress leader Ashu said, “Religious beliefs should not be linked with politics. Ram is for all and we are all happy that Ram Mandir has been built in Ayodhya. A number of Congress leaders are part of temple management committees and they are actively involved in akshat distribution, Shobha Yatra and other programmes ahead of the temple inauguration.” Yashdeep Puri, prachar pramukh of the Ludhiana unit of the RSS, says their involvement in the temple campaign too is as Ram Bhakts and not as members of any organisation. “We are happy that people across party lines are distributing akshat and planning events in temples.” BJP state president Sunil Jakhar says they have asked party workers to help out those who can't afford lighting to mark the day as Diwali. The temple push comes at a time when the BJP has been preparing the ground for contesting the Lok Sabha polls on its own in Punjab, without the Akali Dal as an ally, by toning down its Hindutva rhetoric. Earlier, as part of the alliance, the BJP could play to its Hindu strength while the Akali Dal brought in the Sikh votes. The evidence of this tonal shift has been around since July last year when, addressing a party meeting where Sunil Jakhar formally took over as Punjab BJP chief, senior BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal told party cadre that they should greet each other with “Guru fateh (Victory to the Guru)”. “Guru fateh bolya karo. Aiven na oh gallan kareo jehrian pehlaan karde si (Start saying Guru fateh, just don’t mindlessly do what you did earlier).” At the same meeting, state BJP chief Jakhar read out a Gurbani verse underlining that everyone is equal irrespective of differences. “Maanas ki jaat sabe eke pehchanbo (Recognise all mankind as one)”. The change in the BJP's strategy for Punjab comes at a time when the Akali Dal has returned focus to its Panthic constituency, nearly 27 years after it gave a call to broadbase its constituency to Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiyat, at its Moga resolution. Senior BJP leader and former minister Manoranjan Kalia admitted a reorientation of the party's strategy, while adding that any understanding with the Akali Dal for the Lok Sabha polls would only be “a short-term gain” for the BJP. “If the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections are the goal, going solo is the key to making inroads into the state's landscape,” Kalia says. Punjab is also a state where the BJP can experiment, given that it accounts for only 13 Lok Sabha seats and given the boost the party has received from the recent Assembly poll results. On Sunday, the BJP announced convenors and co-convenors for 31 different cells, indicating its broad game plan – named ‘Purvanchal cell’, ‘Himachali cell’, ‘UP cell’, ‘NRI cell’, ‘Cow protection cell’, etc. The Punjab BJP has also included several prominent Sikh faces in its different wings. Meanwhile, as BJP leaders urge people to contribute how they can for the Ram Temple, party leader Gurdeep Singh Gosha, who was earlier in the Akali Dal, is ahead of others: he is distributing pullovers carrying the image of Ram for free. “We are asking people to wear these pullovers on January 22 as they watch the live telecast of the consecration. Ludhiana is known for its knitwear industry,” Gosha draws the connection.
