Rahul explains Cong ‘difficulty’ in attending Pran Pratistha

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday strongly defended the party’s decision to not attend the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22 saying the event has been made into a “Narendra Modi and RSS-BJP function” with an “election flavour”.

“The RSS and the BJP have made the January 22 function a completely political, Narendra Modi function. It has become an RSS-BJP function. I think that is why the Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) said he will not go to the function. We are open to all religions, all practices. Even the biggest authorities of the Hindu religion have made their views public on what they think about the January 22 event — that it is a political function,” Gandhi said.

“It is difficult for us to go to a political function, which is designed around the prime minister of India and the RSS. We have made it clear that whoever among our partners or our party would like to visit the Ram temple is welcome to do it. It is difficult for us to visit (the temple) on January 22. That this is a prime minister’s function and an RSS function and we are going to attend it … it is not possible,” he added.

Speaking on the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the Waynad MP further expressed confidence in the victory of the INDI alliance against the BJP. He also added that the seat-sharing talks amid the INDI bloc parties are going amicably.

“I am confident that small problems within the INDIA bloc will be resolved and we will together defeat the BJP. The issue of seat sharing is being taken up with INDIA bloc allies. Talks are going quite well,” Rahul Gandhi further said.