UP Cong chief, party leaders pay obeisance at Ayodhya

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai and other party leaders paid obeisance to Ram Lalla in Ayodhya after taking a holy dip in the Saryu river on Makar Sankranti festival on Monday.

While the Congress top brass has declined an invitation to the January 22 consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the party's Uttar Pradesh unit stuck to its plan to offer prayers in the holy city on Makar Sankranti.

"I prayed to Lord Ram that God gives wisdom to everyone, everyone lives in peace and there is happiness and prosperity in the country," the UP Congress chief said after offering prayers.

Rai, Congress MP Deepender Hooda and All India Congress Committee in-charge of Uttar Pradesh unit Avinash Pandey took a holy dip in Saryu river and visited the makeshift temple of Ram Lalla and the Hanumangarhi temple.

The Bharatiya Janata Party took a swipe at the Congress leaders, calling them opportunists who can do anything for politics, but the opposition party hit back.

"Sankrant is an auspicious occasion and we wanted to have 'darshan' of Ram Lalla and offer prayers as our ancestors have done. Calling it political is a mistake and sin by the BJP. The truth is that the BJP is doing dirty politics in the name of religion," Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said.

Asked about the Congress leaders' visit, Union minister and BJP leader Meenakashi Lekhi said, "They are like 'barsati mendak' (rain frogs). They can do anything for politics... ."

"But I will say 'better late than never'. These people who had called Lord Ram a fictional character are now being awakened. They have started on the right path and they should now also clear their conscience," she said.

Hooda and Pande said they were on a religious trip and refused to answer media's questions regarding top party leaders declining the January 22 Pran Prathistha ceremony invitation.

In his response, Rai said they have come to the pilgrim centre on the "more" auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti.

"Isn't the statue of the deity Ram 'pran prathistit' ...we have come to pay respect to the god on a more auspicious day of Makar Sankranti," Rai told reporters.

The visit was announced by Rai before the Congress said that president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi and leader of the party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have turned down an invite for the January 22 temple consecration ceremony and accused the BJP of making it into a 'political project' for electoral gains.

Rai said they were presented a gada (mace) at Hanumangarhi by the main priest, Maniram Das. They also met Ram temple priest Sateyndra Das and took his blessings.

"We also had khichdi offered by Satyendra Das," Rai told PTI.

Meanwhile, some unidentified persons snatched a Congress flag from a party supporter in front of the makeshift temple. The security personnel on duty intervened and prevented any flare up. No FIR has been registered regarding the incident, sources said.

Earlier, in the day, Rai accompanied by leader of the Congress legislature party in UP assembly Aradhana Mishra Mona arrived in Ayodhya from the state capital Lucknow by road, state party leader Uma Shankar Pandey, said.

Hooda arrived in Ayodhya separately.

"Lord Ram is the symbol of our faith. We believe that Ram belongs to everyone, and Lord Ram is within every person. This is not the first time I have come to Ayodhya. I came here a year ago to offer prayers to Ram Lalla," Hooda said.