Cong squirms as leaders speak on Ram Mandir

NT Correspondent

Chitradurga / Bengaluru: Controversial statements from Karnataka Congress leaders on Ram Mandir came in thick and fast even as the party tries to portray itself as not being hostile to the temple.

Minister for Planning and Statistics D Sudhakar on Sunday alleged the saffron party was using Ram Mandir for electoral gain.

Adding fuel to the fire was Congressman and former minister Holalkere Anjaneya claiming that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was the deity Ram to him, adding that he need not visit Ram Mandir.

“It’s a good thing (inauguration of the Ram Mandir). Siddaramaiah is himself Rama. Why go there and worship that Rama. There are Ram Mandirs in their won villages. Worship him there. Why go there? That is BJP’s Rama. Let them chant their hymns. Our Ram is everywhere. I myself am Anjaneya. You know what he did. We are devotees of Sri Ram. People from our community name themselves Anjaneya, Rama, Hanumantha and Maruti,” Holalkere said.

BJP using temple like Pulwama, says minister Sudhakar said that the BJP was using the inauguration of the Ram Mandir slated for January 22 as a “stunt” to gain votes in the Lok Sabha elections just like their alleged use of the Pulwama attack in the lead up to the 2019 general elections.

The attack that took place in the south Kashmir district was carried out by a vehicleborne suicide bomber and killed 40 CRPF jawans and injured another 35.

“It’s a stunt. They showed Pulwama in the past. They’re showing Rama’s photo now. People are not stupid. They’ve fooled people twice. I think it won’t happen a third time,” Sudhakar said.

“We’ve been saying we also gave money for the construction of the Ram Mandir. Raghu Murthy (Congressman) has done the same. A number of people have contributed. Ram is everyone’s deity. There is no discrimination in this. If it is done close to elections, it is a gimmick. It is to divert the minds of the people,” he said.

Holalkere agreed with Sudhakar that BJP was facing religious fervour to gain votes. Siddaramaiah on the other hand said that Congress was in favour of the Ram Mandir.

“We were not opposed to the plan in Ayodhya. We are not against the construction of the temple. We weren’t against Ram Mandir. We were in favour of it. Didn’t we construct Ram Mandir in our villages? We used to do this in our villages. There is no question about this. They are building a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, which is a happy occasion. We’re happy that it’ll be inaugurated,” he told mediapersons.

However, during a Congress Foundation Day programme on Thursday, the CM had also accused the BJP of using Ram Mandir for political capital.