‘Temples not government’s…’: Shashi Tharoor attacks BJP over Ayodhya event

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said he wasn’t invited for the Ram Temple idol-installation ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22. Launching an oblique attack on the BJP, he said he saw “religion as a personal attribute and not one for political misuse”. The Kerala MP also towed his party colleague Sam Pitroda’s line that temples aren’t the government’s business.

Shashi Tharoor speaking to the media. (X)
Shashi Tharoor speaking to the media. (X)

“Was interrogated by the waiting press, wanting to know if I would be going to Ayodhya on January 22. I told them I hadn’t been invited but I saw religion as a personal attribute and not one for political (mis)use,” he wrote on X.

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Without naming the BJP, Tharoor said the media was playing into the hands of those who want to reap political benefits from the temple event.

“I also pointed out that by making such a major news story of the event, which has been known about for some time already, the media was playing into the hands of those who want to milk political benefit from the Ram Mandir while distracting the public from their governance failures,” he said.

Thousands of people, including politicians and Bollywood celebrities, have been invited for the event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his council of ministers are also expected to attend the festivities.

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have also received the invitation. The party, however, hasn’t confirmed if they would attend the event or not.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday accused the government of mixing religion with politics and turned down VHP’s invitation to the ceremony.

Congress leader Sam Pitroda today said religion shouldn’t be mixed with politics.

“I have no problem with any religion. It is okay to go visit the temple once in a while, but you can’t make that the main platform. 40 per cent of the people vote for BJP, and 60 per cent of the people do not vote for BJP. He is everybody’s Prime Minister and not a party’s Prime Minister and that’s the message the people of India want him to have. Talk about employment, talk about inflation, talk about science and technology and challenges. They (people) have to decide what are the real issues- is Ram Mandir the real issue? Or unemployment is a real issue. Is Ram Mandir the real issue or Inflation is a real issue?” he told ANI.

The BJP took exception to the remark and said Pitroda was practising appeasement politics.

In 2019, the Supreme Court ended decades long dispute by allowing the construction of Ram Temple on the disputed site. It directed the authorities to provide a land parcel elsewhere for the construction of a mosque.