Will decide if Sonia, Kharge will attend Ram temple consecration: Cong

The Congress on Friday said it will take a decision at an "appropriate time" on whether party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi will attend the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh told reporters here that Gandhi and Kharge have been invited to the ceremony.

"Chairperson Congress parliamentary party Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge have been invited to the inauguration of the Ram temple. A decision will be taken at an appropriate time, and communicated at an appropriate time," he said.

Congress' leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has also been invited to the ceremony.

 

The consecration ceremony will be held on January 22 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and more than 6,000 people are expected to attend it.

Also, speaking on the recent controversy stoked over his party's senior leader, Sam Pitroda's remark on Ram Mandir, Ramesh distanced himself from Pitroda saying his statement is not an official statement of the Congress Party.

Earlier this week, Pitroda while speaking to ANI targeted the Central government asking if Ram Mandir is the real issue or unemployment is.

However, Congress has not welcomed Pitroda's statements but rather distanced itself on the matter.

"Sam Pitroda's statement is not an official statement of Congress, he doesn't speak on behalf of the Congress party," Jairam Ramesh said while speaking to ANI.
 

Speaking on the upcoming consecration ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram Temple, Pitroda said, "I have no problem with any religion. It is okay to go visit the temple once in a while, but you can't make that the main platform."

"He is everybody's Prime Minister and not a party's Prime Minister and that's the message the people of India want him to have. Talk about employment, talk about inflation, talk about science and technology and challenges. They (people) have to decide what are the real issues- is Ram Mandir the real issue? Or unemployment is a real issue. Is Ram Mandir the real issue or Inflation is a real issue?" he added.

The statement garnered criticism from the BJP with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, senior leaders Sushil Modi and Kailash Vijayvargiya among others targeting the Congress.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)