Ram temple: Congress, BJP war over ‘auspicious day’

Ahead of the ground-breaking ceremony of the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya, a section of Congress leaders has started efforts to go back to history and claim that it was Rajiv Gandhi who laid the foundation for the temple when he was Prime Minister. Some leaders also urged Prime Minister Modi to postpone the event as August 5 is an “inauspicious” day.

The BJP said the Congress is trying to interrupt construction of the temple.

As by-elections for 24 Assembly seats could be announced soon, the Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh are eager to make statements on Ayodhya issue. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath urged people to chant Hanuman Chalisa at 11 a.m on Wednesday. Nath had welcomed the construction of the temple and said that it will realise the dreams of millions of Indians. He requested people to pray at nearby Hanuman temples or at their houses on Wednesday.

Another senior Congressman and Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh said it was Rajiv Gandhi who laid the foundation for the Ram temple. He urged Modi to postpone the ceremony. “I again request Modiji postpone the ground-breaking ceremony of the Ram temple on August 5. After a struggle of hundreds of years, the occasion for the construction of the temple has come. Don’t allow your arrogance create obstruction in the way,” he said in a tweet.

“Jagat Guru Swami Swaroopanandji Maharaj (Shankaraycharya of Dwarka Peeth) had said that August 5 was an inauspicious muhurat for the ground-breaking ceremony of Ram temple. For the convenience of Modiji this inauspicious muhurat was fixed,” the Congress MP added. “This means that Modji is above the Hindu beliefs of thousands of years. Is this Hindutava?” he asked. “Result of overlooking Sanatan Dharma’s tenets - All the priests of Ram temple tested Covid-19 positive, Uttar Pradesh Minister Kamla Rani Varun died of Covid-19, UP BJP chief tested positive and was admitted in hospital, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tested positive, MP chief minister and state BJP president tested positive, and Karnataka BJP chief minister also tested positive and admitted in hospital,” Singh tweeted.

Covid protocol

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who visited the site in Ayodhya on Monday, rubbished the statements of Congress leaders. His Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan also criticised the Congress for “putting hurdles” in the way of the temple.

Yogi said that those who air negative comments on the ceremony had tried to create obstacles in the construction of the Ram temple. “It is not only a historic but also an emotional moment as after 500 years the Ram temple work will start. It will be the foundation of a new India,” he said. “Covid-19 protocol will be strictly followed at the event. I appeal that only those who have been invited should visit Ayodhya,” Adityanath added.

The CPI(M) appealed to the people to uphold the Constitutional principles of secularism and justice and not permit the people’s religious sentiments to be exploited for partisan political purposes. It said in a statement that the takeover of the bhumi pujan ceremony at Ayodhya by the UP administration along with the Central government involvement at the highest level of the Prime Minister goes against both the Supreme Court verdict and the letter and spirit of the Constitution of India.

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