'Narendra Modi function': Rahul Gandhi on Ram temple inauguration ceremony

'The RSS and the BJP have made the January 22nd ceremony a completely political Narendra Modi function,' said Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and said the Ram mandir inauguration ceremony in Ayodhya was Modi's function.

"The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [RSS[ and the Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] have made the January 22nd function a completely political Narendra Modi function. It's an RSS-BJP function and I think that is why the Congress president [Mallikarjun Kharge] said that he would not attend the function," said Gandhi.

"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 January 22 function, that it is a political function," he said.

"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," he added.

Gandhi's remarks came days after the Congress top brass declined an invitation to the January 22 consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The party said the consecration event has "clearly" become an RSS/BJP event.

"Lord Ram is worshipped by millions in our country. Religion is a personal matter. But the RSS/BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has obviously been brought forward for electoral gain. While abiding by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and honouring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event," the Congress party said in a statement.

On the other hand, senior members of the Congress party visited Ayodhya on Monday, and paid obeisance to Lord Ram in the Hanuman Garhi temple.

Senior leaders Deepender Hooda, Supriya Shrinate, Avinash Pande and Ajay Rai took a dip in the Saryu river before visiting the temple. They also talked about bringing the proverbial 'Ram Rajya' in the country.