Kerala BJP urges Congress leaders for clarity on Ram temple inauguration invitation

Thrissur: The BJP in Kerala on Thursday urged the state unit of the Congress party to clarify whether its leaders will attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
Criticizing the grand old party for not yet announcing a final decision on its participation, BJP state chief K Surendran urged them to give a clear answer to the people of the state.

Addressing a gathering, he also questioned whether the Congress was going to bow down to threats from Left parties and community leaders on this issue.

“The BJP wants to ask a simple question: Will the Congress succumb to threats raised by the Marxist party, Left Front allies, community leaders, etc. on this issue?” Surendran asked.

The state BJP chief’s statement comes hours after top leaders of the Kerala state unit of the Congress expressed different views on the political stance to be taken regarding the invitation to its national leadership to attend the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony. .

While senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP K Muraleedharan said the party’s state unit has urged the national leadership not to attend the function, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran said he was not aware of the state unit’s decision on the matter. Explaining its position to the national leadership.

The statement by Congress leaders came a day after Samast, a prominent Muslim Sunni cleric body in Kerala, criticized the party over its indecision over participating in the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple.

In an editorial in Samast’s mouthpiece ‘Suprabhatam’, Congress was accused of having a soft-Hindutva stance.

The Congress has not revealed whether its key leaders, including president Mallikarjun Kharge, former chief Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, will attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

Despite receiving the invitation, the party has not expressed its stand on this matter but has expressed gratitude for the invitation.