"Only Those Invited By Lord Ram Will Come": Row Over Ayodhya Temple Event

The consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya next month - to be headlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi - has become, as expected, a political issue ahead of a Lok Sabha election due in less than four months. Invitations to the January 22 event have been sent to religious leaders and actors, but it is those sent to opposition leaders (and their RSVPs) that are making headlines.

This morning CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat underlined her party's decision to skip a programme that she described as the "politicisation of a religious programme". "No, we will not go. We respect the religious beliefs... but they are connecting a religious programme with politics. "Using religion as a political weapon or to advance a political agenda is not right," Ms Karat told news agency ANI.

The BJP - for which construction of the temple has been a major campaign issue, and will be again in the run-up to the 2024 general and state polls - hit back at Ms Karat with Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi, saying, "... invitations were sent to all (but) only those called by Lord Ram will come".

READ | "Those Not Going Are Weaponising Religion, Not Us": Minister On Temple Row

The Left leaders aren't the only opposition politician to have refused the Ram Temple invitation.

Ex-Congress leader Kapil Sibal said he had "Lord Ram in my heart" and, therefore, didn't feel the need to attend the ceremony, which will likely be a show of strength by the BJP before the elections.

READ |"Ram In My Heart, Don't Need To Show Off": Kapil Sibal On Invite

"What I say to you is from my heart... because I do not care about these things. If Ram is in my heart, and Ram has guided me on my journey, it means I have done something right," Mr Sibal told ANI.

Mr Sibal attacked the BJP for being a "show-off" and said, "They talk about Lord Ram but their character is nowhere close. Truthfulness, tolerance, sacrifice, and respect for others are some of the traits of Ram but they do exactly the opposite... you need to have Ram's principles in your heart."

Another Left party, the CPI, is also likely to skip the Ram Temple event, sources have said.

The refusals also triggered a biting response from Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who taunted the BJP's rivals, especially those "who used to mock us..." and said, "Now, if you have courage, come to Ayodhya and we will show you the temple."

READ | Ram Temple Inauguration For Those Who Mocked BJP: Fadnavis

The Left, Mr Sibal, and other opposition parties and leaders, have spoken out, but all eyes are on the Congress and its senior leaders, including party boss Mallikarjun Kharge and matriarch Sonia Gandhi.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, its leader in the outgoing Lok Sabha, and its former Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, have also been invited, but it is not clear if Rahul Gandhi received one.

The BJP's national rival must walk a tight rope between accepting the invite and, by doing so, potentially alienating minority votes, particularly from the Muslim community, which are key in a state that has 80 Lok Sabha MPs, and in which the Muslims are about 20 per cent of the population.

READ | "Either She Will Go Or...": Congress Leader On Sonia Gandhi's Ayodhya Invite

The Congress has been guarded so far; General Secretary KC Venugopal confirmed the invite and told reporters, "You will (be told) about the party's stand... you will know on January 22."

"They (the BJP) invited us. We are very thankful for inviting us... let us (see)."

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who took a dig at the BJP for not inviting him, asked "what objection can there be" and said, "Either she (Mrs Gandhi) will go or a delegation will go..."

However, uncertainty, and political gamesmanship, over the Ayodhya Ram Temple invitations hasn't been limited to opposition leaders, with the BJP first seemingly snubbing two veterans - LK Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi, both of whom led the Ram Janmabhoomi movement from the front.

The apparent overlook sparked a row, with many accusing the BJP of insulting the old-timers.

Shortly after, though, the right-wing group Vishwa Hindu Parishad said invitations had, in fact, been sent to Mr Advani, a former Deputy Prime Minister, and Mr Joshi, a former Union Minister. But that they will attend is still not clear; the VHP said "both seniors said they would try their best..."

The VHP is a part of the Sangh Parivar, the BJP's ideological parent.

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Before the big event the Prime Minister will be in Ayodhya on Saturday to inaugurate a newly-built airport, which will become operational on January 5, two weeks before the temple sanctification.

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