Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Pawan Bansal asserted that Ram Bhakti is not exclusive to the BJP, emphasising that Lord Ram and Hanuman are not leaders of the BJP; instead, they belong to everyone.
He stated, «I am also a Hindu, and I will definitely visit the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, but I won›t become a silent spectator in the BJP›s program. I will go with hundreds of companions as a devotee of Ram.» The rejection of the invitation for the inauguration of the Ram Mandir by four Shankaracharyas reveals that the temple›s inauguration is not for Ram but for electoral purposes.
I am also a Hindu, and I will definitely visit the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, but I won’t become a silent spectator in the BJP’s programme- Congress leader Pawan Bansal
Bansal characterized the temple’s inauguration as a political program of the BJP and RSS, asserting that it has no connection to the sentiments of Lord Ram and his millions of devotees. He argued that the BJP’s involvement with the Ram Mandir is a strategic move for the 2024 elections and the harvesting of votes, highlighting the party’s skill in dividing various aspects, even matters of faith.
He emphasised that Hinduism is not the sole property of the BJP, and the success of the Ram Mandir is not solely the achievement of the BJP; rather, it was constructed in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court. Bansal questioned the justification for Congress leaders to become silent spectators during the BJP’s celebration on January 22, asserting that the BJP’s attempt to claim credit for the temple’s construction exposes their cheap politics.
Bansal cited historical instances, such as former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s plan in 1993, which the Vishva Hindu Parishad rejected, and Rajiv Gandhi laying the foundation stone of the Ram Mandir in 1988. He argued that the incomplete temple is being exploited for the BJP’s benefit as a vote bank, and anyone opposing it becomes their enemy.
