‘He doesn’t speak for us’: Congress rejects Pitroda’s comment, confirms invitation for Ram Mandir dedication to Kharge, Sonia
The Congress on Thursday confirmed the invitations for the consecration of Ram Mandir to Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi, while also distancing itself from senior party leader Sam Pitroda’s comments on the issue.
New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday confirmed the invitations for the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony sent by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi, even as the grand old party distanced itself from senior leader Sam Pitroda’s comments on the grand temple that takes place. for inauguration on January 22 next year.
Jairam Ramesh confirmed the invitations to party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress General Secretary Sonia Gandhi, in-charge of Communications, and said the decision will be taken and communicated at the right time.
Pitroda’s comments are not the position of Congress
Reacting to party leader Sam Pitroda’s comments on Ram Mandir, Ramesh said his comments did not reflect the party’s official position on the issue. “Sam Pitroda’s statement is not an official statement from the Congress, he is not speaking on behalf of the Congress party,” Ramesh told news agency ANI.
“Parliamentary party leader Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge have received an invitation for January 22. The decision will be taken and communicated at the right time,” he added.
What Sam Pitroda said?
Earlier this week, while speaking to ANI, Pitroda targeted the BJP-led central government asking whether Ram Mandir was the real problem or unemployment.
“I have no problem with any religion. It is fine to visit the temple every now and then, but you cannot make it the main platform,” Sam Pitroda had noted during the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir.
“He (Modi) is the Prime Minister of everyone and not the Prime Minister of any party and that is the message the people of India want him to convey. Talk about employment, talk about inflation, talk about science and technology and challenges. They (people) have to decide what the real problems are: Is Ram Mandir the real problem? Or unemployment is a real problem. Is Ram Mandir the real problem or is inflation a real problem?” he added.
BJP slams Pitroda and Congress over Ram Mandir’s comments
Pitroda’s comments drew criticism from the BJP, with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan saying the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha “is creating a sense of loss, gloom and fear in the Indian National Congress.” Continuing the scathing attack, Pradhan alleged that Sam had suffered Pitroda’s heartburn over Ram Mandir and that the celebrations that accompanied it were a reflection of Congress’s “chronic allergy to Lord Ram and the Hindus”.
Senior BJP leader Sushil Modi also slammed Pitroda for his comments and said, “People like Sam Pitroda have no connection with India. He questioned EVM and also Ram Temple. He may not believe in God. Lord Ram and our habits are as important as unemployment. People like Sam Pitroda have no knowledge of our culture.”
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur alleged that the alliance leaders keep making superficial statements one after another and misusing Sanatana Dharma. “All their alliance partner leaders continued to abuse Sanatana Dharma and make superficial statements one after another. On the other hand, the Modi government has only one agenda: the welfare of the poor and the development of the nation, and Prime Minister Modi’s government has set new standards for good governance,” Thakur said.
BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said, “The Congress, led by people like Sam Pitroda or NGOs, can never win the hearts of the people of this country.”
The consecration ceremony scheduled for January 22 will witness the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla in the grand temple. The meeting is expected to be attended by hundreds of officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The trust has also invited 4,000 saints from all sects for the ceremony.
(With ANI inputs)