CM Siddaramaiah backs Cong high command's stand to skip Ram temple consecration ceremony

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday endorsed the Congress high command's decision not to attend the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying the BJP has turned a religious event into a political affair.

In a statement, the Chief Minister charged the BJP and RSS with having turned a religious event into a party function thereby insulting 140 crore Indians.

Referring to the purported statement of the secretary of the Ram Mandir trust that Shaiva and Shaktas have no authority in the Ram Mandir, he said it has caused a controversy.

Four Shankaracharyas are reported to have boycotted the consecration of the temple "in protest against the misuse of the Ram Mandir for politics", he said.

In a statement on 'X', Siddaramaiah said, "AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader of our party Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who are not participating in the Ramlalla inauguration programme in Ayodhya, are correct in their decision, which I support."

He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leaders of the Sangh Parivar of having 'disrespected' Lord Ram and the 140 crore people of the country by politicising a religious event that should be conducted with devotion and respect for all, regardless of caste, religion, party-sect, into a party function.

"It is a betrayal of all the Hindus that a religious programme, which should have been conducted with devotion has been turned into a political propaganda," Siddaramaiah alleged.