January 22 will likely be an enormous day within the historical past of India. Political leaders, celebrities and key personalities from throughout walks of life will likely be attending the holy consecration ceremony on the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The entire nation will witness the historic occasion dwell on tv however they may miss one factor – the presence of the Congress celebration within the occasion. The grand previous celebration, which claims itself to be a custodian of secularism, has simply shot itself within the foot and has possible killed its ballot prospects for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as effectively.
Whereas the Congress celebration final night time introduced to boycott the Ram temple consecration ceremony occasion, it forgot that the difficulty isn’t restricted to solely Uttar Pradesh however will have an effect on many states throughout the nation. “Lord Ram is worshipped by thousands and thousands in our nation. Faith is a private matter. However the RSS/BJP have lengthy made a political challenge of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the unfinished temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been clearly introduced ahead for electoral acquire. Whereas abiding by the 2019 Supreme Courtroom judgement and honouring the feelings of thousands and thousands who revere Lord Ram, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what’s clearly an RSS/BJP occasion,” stated the Congress celebration.
Right here is the assertion of Shri @Jairam_Ramesh, Common Secretary (Communications), Indian Nationwide Congress. pic.twitter.com/JcKIEk3afy
— Congress (@INCIndia) January 10, 2024
Congress additionally stated that it obtained the invitation final month. Should you learn the assertion rigorously, the Congress has highlighted that the inauguration of the unfinished temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been introduced ahead for electoral good points. This can be the case however by not attending the occasion, the Congress celebration has made the 2024 Polls a completely one-sided match, particularly in states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
Whereas the Congress celebration has been hesitant in publicly accepting the Ram Temple verdict, now the BJP has received one other weapon to painting the grand previous celebration as an anti-Hindu institution. The rejection of the invitation by the Congress will additional assist BJP polarise the Hindi heartland. The Congress has undoubtedly failed to grasp the bigger temper of the nation and thus is certain to be doomed once more within the 2024 parliamentary polls.
A senior Congress chief from Gujarat, Arjun Modhwadia, took to social media platform X to specific his disapproval of the celebration’s determination to skip the occasion. “Lord Shri Ram is the deity of worship. This can be a matter of religion and perception for the individuals of the nation. The Indian Nationwide Congress ought to have stayed away from making such political choices,” Modhwadia stated.
Within the phrases of the Congress chief Acharya Pramod Krishnam, “It is unlucky to think about Ram Temple a challenge of the BJP, RSS, VHP or Bajrang Dal. Congress isn’t towards Lord Ram and Hindus. Sadly, some individuals who have performed a task within the celebration taking this determination. This can be a very painful determination and has damaged the hearts of crores of Congress celebration staff. It was Rajiv Gandhi who opened the locks of the Ram Temple. This determination could be very painful.”
#WATCH | Congress rejects Ram temple invitation, celebration chief Acharya Pramod Krishnam says, “Congress isn’t towards Lord Ram and Hindus. Sadly, some individuals who have performed a task within the celebration taking this determination. This determination has damaged the hearts of many celebration staff. This… pic.twitter.com/635kOOmaR4
— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2024
By indicating the position of ‘some individuals’ on this determination, Acharya Pramod Krishnam could also be indicating senior Congress leaders who’re largely from South India. The temple politics of the South and North are fully completely different. If Pramod Krishnam’s indication is in the direction of leaders like KC Venugopal, Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh, then these leaders have failed in calculating the feelings of individuals and their devotion in the direction of Lord Ram.
Another excuse for the Congress celebration rejecting the Ram Temple invitation could possibly be one just like the rejection of the invite for the inauguration of the brand new Parliament constructing. In response to many senior leaders, the Congress didn’t attend the inauguration of the brand new Parliament constructing as Rahul Gandhi was not eligible to attend the occasion at that time limit as a result of Gujarat Excessive Courtroom verdict in ‘Modi Surname’ case that ripped him off the Lok Sabha membership. Congress desperately needs Rahul Gandhi to be the Prime Ministerial candidate and his absence throughout the inauguration of the brand new Parliament may have despatched a unfavorable message and thus Congress performed safely by not attending the occasion. Now, because the Ram Temple belief has determined to ask leaders of all acknowledged political events and leaders of each homes of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi once more turned ineligible to attend the occasion as he’s simply an MP of the Congress celebration. Whereas Mallikarjun Kharge is the Congress president and Chief of the Opposition within the Rajya Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is the Chief of the Congress within the Lok Sabha whereas Sonia Gandhi is the Congress Parliamentary Celebration Chairperson. Thus these three leaders, not Rahul Gandhi, obtained an invitation from the temple belief.
In any of the circumstances, the choice is prone to damage the Congress celebration because the BJP has already began making it a ballot plank towards the opposition. This additionally signifies that Congress has internally accepted that they can not cease the BJP from coming to energy in 2024 and thus their focus has shifted in the direction of scoring political browny factors, which will likely be of no use throughout the 2024 Polls.