"Rahul Gandhi, Man With Religious Mindset": Congress Leader Salman Khurshid

Backing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's take on the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Lord Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Wednesday called Mr Gandhi a man with a religious mindset.

When asked about whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was going to Ayodhya during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Salman Khurshid said, "Rahul Gandhi is a man of a religious mindset. He has said that he does not associate 'dharma' with politics. We are staying away from the ceremony on January 22, when politics will be associated with 'dharma'.

Earlier in the day, Congress's National Alliance Committee held a meeting with Samajwadi Party leaders in Delhi.

"We've shared details of each seat with each other. I hope that the alliance happens before the (Bharat Jodo Nyay) Yatra reaches Uttar Pradesh," Salman Khurshid said after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that the RSS and the BJP have made the January 22 function at Ram Temple in Ayodhya "a completely political Narendra Modi function" and that it is difficult for Congress leaders "to go to a political function which is designed around the Prime Minister of India and around the RSS".

Rahul Gandhi, who addressed a press conference during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra here, said that the biggest authorities of the Hindu religion have made their views public about what they think about the January 22 function.

Congress leaders - Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury-- had earlier "respectfully declined" the invitation "for Ram Temple inauguration" on January 22, calling it a "BJP-RSS" event.

Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram's idol will take place at the grand temple in Ayodhya on January 22 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Elaborate arrangements are being done for the ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. An idol of Lord Ram form will be enthroned in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

"The RSS and the BJP have made the January 22 function a completely political Narendra Modi function. It's a RSS BJP function and I think that is why the Congress President said that he would not go to the function. We are open to all religions, all practices. Even the authorities of the Hindu religion, the biggest authorities of the Hindu religion have made their view public about what they think about the 22nd January function that it is a political function. So it is difficult for us to go to a political function which is designed around the Prime Minister of India and designed around the RSS," Mr Gandhi said.

The rituals for the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya started on Tuesday and will continue for seven days. Thousands of VIP guests have received invitations from the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the ceremony.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)