Congress MP Digvijaya Singh on Thursday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for roping in Vishva Hindu Parishad with the invitations and celebrations of the Ayodhya ceremony and said that "BJPfication" of pran-pratishtha is being done.
"BJPfication of this (pran-pratishtha) is being done. Full control has been given to the people of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). We have an objection. What has VHP got to do with the Ram Temple construction? Do we have a problem visiting the Ram Temple? We will go there happily. But let it complete first," Singh told ANI.
The Congress leader also objected to the under-construction of the Ram temple and alleged that the ceremony was taking place in a crooked attempt to benefit by making this an election issue.
"Forget the invitation. What we are objecting to is that the construction of Ram Temple is not complete. When the construction is not complete, what is the 'pranpratishtha' about? This is against the holy scriptures and religion. This is a crooked attempt to benefit by making this an election issue," he said.
Reacting to the grand old Congress party's decline to the 'pran-pratishtha' ceremony invitations of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, Digvijaya said that the ruling party had turned the event into a BJP and VHP event.
"How many invitees have accepted the invitation? No established religious leader has accepted the invitation. They have raised an objection. As per religious scriptures, no 'pranpratishtha' of any idol can be done at a temple. The construction is incomplete, and it is considered ominous," he said.
"Not just Congress but all political parties that have received the invitations--Shiv Sena, RJD, JD(U), TMC, CPI, CPI(M) - who is attending it? Shiv Sena, who led the Babri Masjid demolition, has declined too. Lord Ram belongs to everyone. We would be delighted to visit the temple but let the construction finish first. They have turned this into a BJP and VHP event," added the Congress leader.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi and the party's leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday "respectfully declined" the invitation to attend the ceremony, with the party accusing the BJP of making it into a "political project" for electoral gains.
