"Those Not Going Are Weaponising Religion, Not Us": Minister On Temple Row

Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi as hit out at opposition leaders amid the row over some opposition leaders refusing invites to the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya next month.

After the CPIM's Brinda Karat - who this morning accused the BJP of "using religion as a political weapon" - Ms Lekhi told NDTV "those not going are weaponising religion... not us".

"Had they (the Left) been present there would have been no weaponisation. The weaponisation is being done by people speaking against a particular religion. If invites were sent and some didn't come, then who is weaponising it? Those who sent invites or those who chose not to go?"

"There is no politics being done by us... they (the opposition) don't follow what Ram preached."

"Lord Ram is about faith... the faith of the nation and our forefathers. It is about established principles based on which society can function. It is up to each person to decide how s/he will view this... but the people who are politicising who are dividing society on grounds of religion," she said.

Earlier today Ms Karat told news agency ANI, "... they (the BJP) are connecting a religious programme with politics. Using religion as a political weapon to advance an agenda is not right."

READ | "Only Those Invited By Lord Ram...": Ayodhya Temple Event Row

Ms Lekhi countered by declaring "only those invited by Lord Ram will come..."

Her comments to NDTV also seemed to rebut attacks by other opposition leaders on the Ram Temple invite row, including ex-Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who said he had "Lord Ram in my heart".

READ | "Ram In My Heart, Don't Need To Show Off": Kapil Sibal On Invite

Mr Sibal, now an independent MP, had criticised the BJP for hosting a "show-off" event, and said, "Truthfulness, tolerance, and respect for others are some of Ram's traits but they do the opposite..."

The Left and Mr Sibal have spoken out but the Congress - the BJP's only national rival - is silent for now. At least three senior leaders, including party boss Mallikarjun Kharge and matriarch Sonia Gandhi, have been invited, as well as the party's ex-Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh.

READ | "Either She Will Go Or...": Congress On Sonia Gandhi's Ayodhya Invite

The consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya - scheduled for January 22 - is being widely seen as the cornerstone of the BJP's campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the temple, and Hindu seers, actors and celebrities, have been invited.

Before the big event the Prime Minister will be in Ayodhya on Saturday to inaugurate a newly-built airport, which will become operational on January 5, two weeks before the temple sanctification.

READ | PM To Inaugurate Ayodhya Airport On Dec 30, Operations From Jan 5

The Ayodhya railway station has been revamped, with refurbished platforms, and new signboards, escalators, ready to greet visitors, who may also expect to see large murals of Ram on the walls.

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