The Ram temple event is not a political programme, but a religious one, said Himanta Sarma. (File)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he described the Ayodhya Ram temple's 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony as a "Narendra Modi function". The BJP's northeast strategist also accused Mr Gandhi and his party for "politicizing" the January 22 event, set to be headlined by the Prime Minister in Ayodhya.
"Rahul Gandhi is politicising the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. It is not a political programme, but a religious one. It is a historic day for us, a day of triumph of the Indian civilization," he told a press conference.
The Chief Minister also said the opposition leaders' boycott of the event has given it a political colour.
"Your (Rahul Gandhi's) political associates have boycotted the event, turning it into a political function, which it is not. If Congress attends the event and sits in the front row, there will be no politics. Who is politicizing the religious event? Congress is," he added.
Mr Sarma said the January 22 event will feature no political speeches, just devotees doing darshan of the idol.
"Congress has added political overtones to the function. Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi made it a political event using their anti-Hindu notion. Everybody will have a darshan of Ram Lala. Nobody will give any political speech. It's the Congress party that has made it a political event," Mr Sarma asserted.
Mr Gandhi, who began his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from the northeast this week, today dubbed the Pran Pratistha ceremony in Ayodhya as a "political function" to defend the Congress leaders' decision to skip it.
"It is difficult for us (Congress) to attend the January 22 function because it is a (Narendra) Modi function. They (BJP) always give election flavour to all events and developments, including religious ones. We respect all religions and all religions are the same to us," he said earlier in the day.
He also said that top Hindu religious leaders have been questioning the event as it has been mixed with politics and the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.