Ram Mandir Consecration: How Opposition Leaders Are Marking the Day
With the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony taking place in Ayodhya today, several parties within the INDIA alliance of Opposition parties have chosen to abstain from attending the event. While the BJP has framed their absence as politically motivated, these parties maintain that the ceremony has been politicized by the Sangh Parivar, particularly in light of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress and the Left have openly criticized the ceremony, calling it a political event. Leaders like Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar have politely declined invitations, stating that they will visit the temple at a later date. Other INDIA leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar, have remained silent on the issue.
Alternative Activities by Opposition Leaders
On the day of the ceremony, Rahul Gandhi, currently on a yatra from Manipur to Mumbai, will be in Assam. He was scheduled to visit the Batadrava Than/Sattra, the birthplace of Vaishnavite saint-reformer Srimanta Sankardeva. However, the Than Management Committee has reportedly "forbidden" his visit, citing potential security concerns.
The AAP, which has previously embraced Hindutva elements, will organize Shobha yatras across Delhi on Monday, with senior leaders in attendance. Community kitchens will also be set up.
Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit the Kalighat temple in Kolkata to offer prayers to Goddess Kali and then lead an "all-faith" rally. This rally will cover various religious shrines, including mosques, temples, churches, and gurdwaras, before culminating at Park Circus Maidan.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will visit the Kalaram temple in Nashik, a site previously visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Other INDIA leaders, such as Akhilesh Yadav and the Janata Dal (United), will be marking the day with alternative activities, including paying tribute to socialist leaders and attending events related to their party's history.
