Kozhikode (Ker), Jan 11 (PTI) CPI (M) Kerala state secretary M V Govindan claimed on Thursday that the Left’s influence played a role in the Congress’s decision not to participate in the Ram Temple consecration ceremony at Ayodhya on January 22.
After the top Congress leaders “respectfully” declined the invitation to attend the ceremony, Govindan said that the Left had already announced its decision on the matter, leading the Congress leaders to make such a choice.
“This shows the relevance of left-wing politics. The CPI(M) welcomes the stand taken by the Congress at least now,” Govindan told reporters here.
Govindan, also a member of the CPI(M) politburo, alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP aim to inaugurate the temple before the completion of the work, viewing it as the start of the parliamentary election campaign.
“The Hindutva agenda and political interest are behind the inauguration ceremony. The question of irreverance towards the God does not arise in this matter,” he said.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key ally of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala, also welcomed the decision made by the Congress, alleging that the BJP was using the Ram Temple consecration for political gain.
Supreme leader of IUML, Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, stated that no one is against the Ram Temple being built in Ayodhya. “However, the BJP is using the Ram Temple consecration ceremony as a mere means of political propaganda. In this context, it is a relief that others, including the Congress, are abstaining from the ceremony,” he told reporters in Kannur.
On Wednesday, the Congress announced that Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, and its leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, have declined the invitation to attend the ceremony.
The opposition party also claimed that the BJP and the RSS had turned the event into a “political project” for electoral gain. PTI TGB TGB KH
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