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Ram temple consecration: Kharge says faithful can visit Ayodhya any day; Tharoor highlights Sonia Gandhi’s speech on Hindu liberalism

In a post on social media platform X, where Tharoor attached Sonia Gandhi's speech highlighting Swami Vivekananda's views on Hinduism.

South First Desk

Published Jan 12, 2024 | 7:15 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 12, 2024 | 7:15 PM

Ram temple consecration: Kharge says faithful can visit Ayodhya any day; Tharoor highlights Sonia Gandhi’s speech on Hindu liberalism

Kharge and Tharoor.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday, 12 January, said anyone having faith in Lord Ram can visit the Ayodhya temple any day and added the BJP was attacking his party over the decision to decline the invitation to the 22 January consecration ceremony as part of “a conspiracy”.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor highlighted a speech made two decades ago by Sonia Gandhi at the Ramakrishna Mission, emphasising how Hindu liberal thought contributed to India’s secular identity.

Related: Sringeri Shankaracharya won’t attend Ram Mandir consecration

‘Congress has never hurt any religion’

The Congress has never hurt any religion or guru, Kharge said, adding it will not fall for the BJP’s diversionary tactic and will continue to raise people’s issues such as inflation and unemployment.

Kharge and top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have “respectfully declined” the invitation to attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony on 22 January, accusing the BJP and the RSS of making it a “political project” for “electoral gain”.

The BJP has criticised the decision and dubbed the Congress “anti-Lord Ram”.

To a question on the BJP’s attack, Kharge told reporters, “As far as attending the function, those who have faith (aastha) can go tomorrow or the day after. I have made it clear on 6 January itself. It is not correct to attack us and this is a conspiracy of the BJP.”

He also said this is the reason why the BJP has been raising the issue again and again.

Also Read: Left influence played a role in Congress decision: CPI(M)

‘BJP’s diversionary tactic’

“We do not want to hurt anyone, any religion, any guru. This is not our issue. Our only issue is what (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji has done for the people on unemployment, inflation, border issues, and on the Chinese (intrusions), and what is their foreign policy.

“The poor who have been destroyed and are harassed… we are concerned about them and are asking him about them rather than this,” the Congress president said.

In a post on X, Kharge said the Congress will not fall for the BJP’s diversionary tactic and will not stop raising public issues.

“Our only issues in 2024 are — What work has the Modi government done for the unemployed youth? What steps should be taken regarding inflation? What did you (Union government) say about Chinese infiltration on the border? We are concerned about Dalits, tribals, backward classes, and poor sections of society, which the BJP is not,” he posted.

‘India’s pluralistic and composite heritage’

In a post on social media platform X, where Tharoor attached Sonia Gandhi’s speech highlighting Swami Vivekananda’s views on Hinduism, the Congress Working Committee member expressed his belief that the teachings of Swami Vivekananda carry a highly relevant and impactful message for the present day.

Sonia Gandhi, in her speech on 12 January, 1999, when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government was in power, had expressed concern and sadness over the “appropriation” of Swami Vivekananda — who had admired “India’s pluralistic and composite heritage” — by certain sections of society.

Tharoor, in his post, said the Congress’s association with Hindu liberalism is not a recent response to events over the past decade, but rather a longstanding and deeply-held conviction.

He wrote, “25 years ago today, then Congress President Sonia Gandhiji delivered this thoughtful address at the #NationalYouthDay function at the Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi, on 12th January, 1999.”

Gandhi lamented that Swami Vivekananda’s appreciation for India’s diverse heritage and the message of Hinduism, emphasising tolerance and harmony, was being distorted and appropriated by groups promoting hate and antagonism, rejecting the secular foundations of an ancient civilisation.

‘India is secular primarily because of Hinduism’

“It is hard to imagine a more effective message about Swami Vivekananda’s teachings today. And good to recall that @INCIndia’s identification with Hindu liberalism is not a reaction to events in the last ten years, but a long-held conviction,” Tharoor said in the post on ‘X’.

Gandhi also said India is secular primarily because Hinduism, both as a philosophy and as a way of life, has been based on what our ancients said, “Ekam Sat, Vipraha Bahudha Vadanti (truth is one, the wise pursue it variously).”

To criticise the ideology of the right wing, Gandhi had also recalled Vivekananda’s speech in Chicago, where he emphasised his pride in belonging to a religious tradition that taught people to accept all religious opinions as true, stating, “We do not merely tolerate all religions, but accept them all to be true.”

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh hailed Tharoor’s efforts, terming it “amazing archival research” and said it was timely too.

Sharing Tharoor’s post on ‘X,’ he said it was then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who declared 12 January as National Youth Day in honour of Swami Vivekananda, in 1985.

Allegations by BJP

The BJP earlier shared a post on X alleging, “Congress’ tradition is of opposing Lord Shri Ram.”

It also shared a 35-second video and a poster which read “Ram Virodhi Congress”.

The 35-second video carries the statement of Rahul Gandhi where he stated that “if you don’t believe in past life how can you believe in Ram.”

The BJP also said in the video that the Congress termed the Ram Setu imaginary, rejected the very existence of Lord Ram, raised questions about the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram temple and turned down the invitation to the consecration ceremony.

(With PTI inputs)

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