“Congress can’t do politics by objecting to Bhagwan Ram,” says VHP’s Surender Jain

Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Joint General Secretary Surender Jain hit out at Congress days after the party leaders declined an invitation to the Pran Pratishtha of the Ram Mandir on January 22, stating, “they can’t do politics by objecting” to Bhagwan Ram.

Speaking with media, Jain said that the Congress has divided into two camps with respect to attending the Pran Pratishta ceremony of Sri Ram Lalla murti in Ayodhya.

“Congress has become divided into 2 groups now; one group is of those who know that they can’t do politics by objecting to Bhagwan Ram and the second group is of those who target minority votes…Therefore, they’re in an illusion. They can’t do politics by objecting to Bhagwan Ram,” Jain said.

Ayodhya is buzzing with excitement as it prepares for the Pran Pratishtha of Bhagwan Sri Ram Lalla at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi on January 22, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inspected the arrangements in Ayodhya on Friday, expressing satisfaction with the planning and execution.

The decision to snub the invitation to the January 12 Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha by the opposing parties of the I.N.D.I Alliance has triggered a political slugfest just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and a host of Congress bigwigs — national president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Sonia Gandhi and the party’s Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury–have already turned down the invitation to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav earlier in the month turned down the invitation saying he will visit the temple with his family at a later date. The murti of Ram Lalla was placed in the ‘Garbha Griha’ of the Ram Mandir on January 18 amid joyous chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram.’

In a significant prelude to the upcoming ceremony, a special puja was held in the sanctum sanctorum before the murti was brought inside with the help of a crane on January 17 night.

The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla at Ayodhya’s mandir will take place on January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform rituals to mark the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ while a team of priests, led by Lakshmikant Dixit, will lead the main rituals.

(with inputs from ANI)