The inauguration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya will not see the participation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders like Brinda Karat and Sitaram Yechury.
Emphasising their respect for religious beliefs, Karat pointed out the party's stance being "it is not right to politicise religion” and directed criticism toward the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Our party will not attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. We respect religious beliefs but they are connecting a religious programme with politics. This is the politicization of a religious programme. This is not right,” she told ANI.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has also turned down an invitation to attend the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the party said on Tuesday while underlining its belief that religion is a personal choice.
"Our policy is to respect religious beliefs and the right of each individual to pursue their belief. Religion is a personal choice not to be converted into an instrument for political gain. Comrade Sitaram Yechury will not attend the ceremony despite receiving an invitation to do so," the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said in a post on X.
What did the CPI(M) party say?
The CPI(M) part in its official statement has said, "The CPI(M) policy has been to respect religious beliefs and safeguarding the right of every individual to pursue their belief. It believes that religion is a personal choice not to be converted into an instrument for political gain. Therefore, we will not be attending the ceremony."
It added that it is "most unfortunate" that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have converted a religious ceremony into a State-sponsored event directly involving the prime minister, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and other government functionaries.
"A fundamental principle of governance in India as reiterated by the Supreme Court is that the State in India, under the Constitution, should have no religious affiliation. This is being violated by the ruling regime in the organisation of the event," the CPI(M) said.
'Only Those Called By Lord Ram...': BJP
Bharatiya Jananata Party (BJP), for which the construction of Ram Mandir and its inauguration are key campaign issues, said only those called by lord Ram will reach Ayodhya.
"...The invitations have been sent to all. Those called by lord Ram will only reach [Ayodhya, for Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Temple], Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi said on Tuesday.
What did Congress leaders say?
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal rebuffed the BJP, dismissing the entire matter concerning the inauguration of the Ram Temple as a "show-off." He asserted that the saffron party engages in actions contrary to the teachings associated with Lord Ram.
“I have Ram in my heart. I don't need to show off. What I say to you is from my heart because I do not care about all these things. If Ram is in my heart and Ram has guided me throughout my journey, it means that I have done something right,” Sibal reportedly said.
The Ram temple will be inaugurated on January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and more than 6,000 people expected to attend the grand "Pran Pratistha" ceremony.
