Siddaramaiah defends Congress' decision to skip 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony

BENGALURU: Amid sharp criticisms of the Congress party's decision to turn down the invitation to the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday voiced support for the senior party leaders abstaining from the programme.

CM Siddaramaiah asserted the decision by AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and party MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is correct.

"AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, senior leader of our party Sonia Gandhi, and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Chowdhury, who are not participating in the inauguration of Ramlalla in Ayodhya, are correct in their decision, which I support," the Congress leader said.

Siddaramaiah accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sangh Parivar leaders of "disrespecting Lord Ram" and the nation's 140 crore people by politicising a religious event.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leaders of the Sangh Parivar have disrespected Sri Ram and the 140 crore people of the country by making a religious event that should be conducted with devotion and respect for all, regardless of caste, religion, or party sect, into a party event," Siddaramaiah said.

"It is a betrayal to all the Hindus that a religious programme that should have been conducted with devotion has been turned into a political propaganda campaign," he said.

"Daily preaching about Hindu culture, customs, and ideas, BJP and RSS leaders' silence about the Prime Minister's move to inaugurate the unfinished Sri Rama temple has exposed the hollow mask of Hindutva," he added.

He emphasised the Congress party's consistent support for the construction of Ram Mandir, respecting the court's verdict while criticising the BJP, RSS, and VHP for alleged hypocrisy in accepting the court's decision.

"The Congress party has remained committed to its stand since the day the Ramjanmabhoomi dispute started. We have given our full support to the construction of Ram Mandir as per our stand that we will bow down to the court order. We have no qualms about this. Muslim brothers have also accepted the court's verdict and proved their loyalty to the judiciary," the Chief Minister said.

"But organizations such as BJP, RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, who have been claiming that the Ramjanmabhoomi dispute is a question of religious devotion and not something that can be decided in court, have accepted it as soon as the Supreme Court verdict came out in their favor. This is a proof of the hypocritical behavior of the leaders of these organizations," CM Siddaramaiah added.

Siddaramaiah condemned the divisive politics played during what was meant to unite Hindus. He further accused PM Modi of using the Ram Mandir inauguration to divert attention from governance issues.

"The statement of the secretary of the Ram Mandir Trust that Shaiva-Shaktis have no authority in the Ram Mandir has created a controversy. If this is true, it is an insult to all Shaivites. Similarly, four Shankaracharyas are reported to have boycotted the installation program in protest against the Ram Mandir being misused for politics," he mentioned.

"It is a tragedy that the Ramlalla inauguration program, which was supposed to be a program to unite all Hindus, became a program to divide Hindus due to BJP's politics," the post stated.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is about to complete another ten years of rule, does not have the confidence to win the elections by presenting his achievements to the voters," the Chief Minister outlined.

He further stated, "For this reason, during the Lok Sabha elections, they have hurriedly inaugurated the Ram Mandir, which is in an incomplete state, and through this, they have tried to cover up their failure under the cover of the wave of Hindutva."

He emphasizes the importance of interfaith equality, referencing religious leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda.

"I am confident that the people of the country, who have been seriously observing the politics that the BJP and the Sangh Parivar have been running in the name of Ram for the last 30-35 years, will definitely not fall victim to such a network of doggy Hindutva this time. People have already started asking for the account of donations collected in the name of brick," he said.

"We are not against Hinduism, we are against untouchability, casteism, bigotry and corruption in the name of religion. We are totally against using religion for politics."

"We have no problem with the Hindu religion which has been practiced by many dignitaries of the country including Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, Kanakadasa, Narayana Guru, Kuvempu. But we continue to oppose the Dongi Hindutva of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, who are using religion for political evil. We do not make a political profit-loss calculation in this matter," the post said.

Siddaramaiah concluded by urging commitment to the constitutional aspiration of creating a society of peace for all races, irrespective of religious beliefs.

"As a representative of the people, I have participated in religious programs such as the inauguration of hundreds of temples and the restoration of them. I have built a temple of Rama in my town and worshiped it with devotion. Similarly, I have paid my respects by participating in religious programs of mosques and churches. Interfaith equality is the aspiration of the Constitution. We all have to commit to it," Siddaramaiah said.

"Just as it is a religious duty for those who have faith and devotion to Lord Rama to worship him every day, it is equally a sacred religious duty to raise their voice against those who use Lord Ram for politics," he said.

"No religion hates or rejects another religion. I and our party are committed to the wish of the constitution to make the society a garden of peace for all races," the Congress leader highlighted.

Another Congress MP also joined in the criticism of the Union Government alleging politicisation of a religious event. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in a post on X stated, "Much to think about as the nation braces itself for the Jan 22 inauguration by a political leader of an incomplete temple, with priests relegated to supporting roles in a pre-election political spectacle."

Calling the Ram Temple inauguration an event of the BJP and RSS, earlier on Wednesday, Congress turned down the invitation for the 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony of Lord Ram

Lalla, scheduled later this month in Ayodhya. "Last month, the Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and the Leader of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury received an invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya to be held on January 22nd, 2024," the party's general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in the statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple on January 22.

As per temple officials, the ceremony will be held for seven days starting from January 16. Preparations are underway in full swing for the Ram Temple 'Pran Pratishtha' on January 22, which will draw dignitaries and people from all walks of life. Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahotsav from January 14 to January 22.