News Brief
CPI(M) To Boycott Ram Temple Inauguration, Alleges BJP Of Politicising Religious Ceremony
Nayan Dwivedi
Dec 26, 2023, 01:10 PM | Updated 01:10 PM IST
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The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has declared its decision to abstain from the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, scheduled for 22 January.
Senior party leader Brinda Karat emphasised that while the party respects religious beliefs, it condemns the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for what it deems as the "politicisation of a religious program."
As reported by Hindustan Times, Karat stated, "Our party will not attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. We respect religious beliefs, but they are connecting a religious program with politics. This is the politicisation of a religious program. This is not right."
Echoing similar sentiments, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal had earlier criticised the BJP's approach to the Ram Temple inauguration, dismissing it as a "show-off."
He remarked, "I have Ram in my heart. I don't need to show off. If Ram has guided me throughout my journey, it means that I have done something right."
The consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple has sparked a wider discourse, with the BJP urging its leaders and workers to actively participate in events organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) related to the temple's construction.
However, the CPI(M)'s decision to abstain highlights the growing debate over the perceived intersection of religion and politics.
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Nayan Dwivedi is Staff Writer at Swarajya.
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