Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that "Shri Ram is not the property of BJP" as PM Modi performed Bhoomi Pujan at Ram Janmabhoomi site.
In a series of tweet on Twitter, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said, "ShriRam is not the property of BJP. He is the ideal man whose image is deeply etched in the hearts&minds of millions. Gandhiji always sang his hymns& died w/"Hei Ram" on his lips. He talked about a RamRajya where all would live in peace&prosperity. Can't let His name be hijacked!"
He added: "The universal appeal of Ram & SanatanDharma cannot be commandeered by those who chant either hymns or slogans. He belongs to all humanity. For Hindutva, Ram is a God to be worshipped; for Gandhiji Ram represented ideal qualities that every person should practise &seek to emulate."
He made quite clear that the Congress party was never opposed to the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya but the demolition of Babri Masjid.
He said, "Let's be clear: @INCIndia was NEVER opposed to the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, but to the criminal demolition of the BabriMasjid. In 1989, Rajiv Gandhiji allowed VHP to do shilanyas on non-disputed land nearby as an alternate sit ."
He said, "At the same time it was NOT Rajiv Gandhi who ordered opening of the locks at the masjid, but the district judge of Faizabad who ordered the locks to be opened in 1986."
He believes that the demolition of the Masjid is a blot on our conscience. Tharoor said, "Whatever you feel about today's events, the Masjid's demolition is a blot on our conscience. As @RahulGandhi said in 2007, "My father said to my mother that he would stand in front of Babri Masjid. They would have had to kill him first”.
"Some Left-liberal intellectuals are accusing @INCIndia of being BJP-Lite. Yes, many leaders welcomed the Ram temple after the SC judgement. But they did NOT instigate Hindus against Muslims.They did NOT make hate speeches against the Muslim community.They hailed the ideal Ramji," The MP added.
"To those who insist there is no difference between the political parties in India, I ask: is there is no difference between those who would respectfully have come to an accommodation with the Muslim community on a Ram mandir, & those who, with rage & hate, destroyed the mosque?" Tharoor asked.
"And to those Muslims who tell me they feel let down by @INCIndia, pl.check what the Holy Quran says in ch.60, verses 8& 9: https://quran.com/60/8-9?translations=101… Who exactly betrayed you? Not those who stand for an inclusive India, who have neither attacked you nor preached hatred against you."
Earlier, in the day, laying the foundation stone for the Ram temple, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that people's wait for centuries has ended as Lord Ram's birthplace has been liberated from numerous attempts to eradicate his existence, and India is now writing a "glorious chapter" in Ayodhya.
Dressed in a golden-colored traditional kurta and dhoti with a saffron gamcha, Modi also described Lord Ram as the common thread in India's unity in diversity, and drew a parallel between the country's independence movement and "centuries" of people's struggle to build the temple at the site.
The construction of this temple is an instrument to unite the country, and these historic moments today will be a symbol of India's glory eternally, the prime minister said in his over 35-minute televised speech at the ceremony attended by a select gathering of 175 people, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Hindu saints of various orders.
Organisers kept the guest list short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
