Shivakumar downplays Bommai Ram Mandir plan

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru / Ramanagara: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar on Monday sought to downplay Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s plan to a “grand” Ram Mandir near Ramadevarabetta hill in Ramanagara, noting that the plan had been announced very close to the Assembly elections.

“Let Mr Bommai ask his leaders to build a BJP office there. As far as the Congress is concerned, the Congress office is a temple. Let them build a BJP office there first and then Ram Mandir,” Shivakumar said.

“Where are they going to build the Ram Mandira? They (BJP) are trying to use emotive issues to woo people. Go and ask the people of Ramanagara, where is the Ram Mandir there, whether Rama was born there, whether Sita or Anjaneya were born there. There is no history there, but there is a small Ram Temple.

Let them build anything, it will not affect us politically,” he added. The Kanakapura MLA spent the day touring parts of Mysuru district, including T Narsipura taluk as part of the party’s Praja Dhwani Yatre programme.