Ram Temple Consecration Archives - Lokmarg

Dr Manish S. Hindvi, Uttar Pradesh Congress leader, says the ruling dispensation conspired to push through amendments that should have faced House scrutiny. His views:

It has been well established by now that the present government at the Centre is working in a dictatorship mode. Other than suppressing all the voices advocating free and fair democratic setup, the BJP-led NDA government has nothing to boast in terms of its achievements in the past 10 years. The suspension of 146 Parliamentarians during the just concluded Winter Session must be seen in this context.

There was no other reason but to avoid any public debate in amendment of the three Criminal Laws. I suspect that the ploy to suspend MPs also carried a dip-stick test to gauge public opinion; if the decision had received any negative opinion they could well have recalled the suspension.

The other major development that went unnoticed was the introduction of the Bill which proposed the selection of the election commissioners by a panel led by the prime minister, leader of the opposition and a Union minister as it members. This was done, in the absence of a majority of opposition MPs, to overrule the verdict of the Supreme Court that ruled that the appointment (of the ECs) will be done by the President of India based on the advice of a committee comprising the PM, the leader of opposition and the Chief Justice of India. They conveniently and unethically replaced the CJI role with that of a Union minister to tilt the scales in their favour.

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Other than its evergreen agenda of the Ram Temple and the abrogation of Article 370 from J&K, the BJP has nothing to put forward for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections irrespective of the fact that whatever is happening in Ayodhya was possible only after the verdict of the Supreme Court.

This government never talks of rising inflation, crime and unemployment as against the larger than the picture claims made on various platforms. They only peddle soft Hindutva (which they did in 2014) and Pulwama (in 2019); they forget that the issue of Ram Temple will only have limited impact in the northern part of India.

It is also unconstitutional and unbecoming for a PM to head any kind of religious function in a secular state. Ideally, the Shankaracharya or the head priest of the Ram Temple should be presiding over the consecration ceremony. Lord Ram is the subject of one’s personal faith and every Sanatani Hindu has a right over Ramji. But, can anyone restrict God to any single party?

By the actions and ongoing propaganda of BJP, it appears that the consecration ceremony is the program of only a single party. They (BJP) are sending invitations by a pick and choose method as if they have the proprietorship over Lord Ram and they are, in a way, also checking the reaction (of the opposition parties) that they could well use in the elections.

I am a Sanatani Hindu and I will not wait for any invitation or directions from anyone to pay a visit to the Ram Temple as we bow to God on every auspicious occasion and the beginning of each day.

As told to Rajat Rai

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Jaishanker Gupta, a veteran journalist and political observer, says the BJP will try to milk Ram Mandir issue to its maximum in the run-up to 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His views:

As the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple, slated to be on January 22, draws near, there is little doubt that the BJP will expect to milk it to the utmost for political gains. A leader of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stature will be attending the ceremony for obvious reasons. After all, it was the Ram Temple issue that catapulted the party to centre-stage in 1990.

Like previous elections, the ‘occasion’ is definitely being used for polarization of a particular section of vote that, by and large, stirs the ‘emotion’ every time for the saffron party. This has also been accepted by Modi who said that it is a good fortune that in his lifetime that he is witness to the building of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

It was also clear from Modi’s Dussehra speech when he declared that ‘the much awaited moment is about to come and Ram Lala will find his divine seat at his birthplace. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had also talked about the inauguration of the temple and had called upon people to be a part of the celebration. This clearly indicates that the issue is going to be one of the top election agenda for the party.

ALSO READ: A Hope From Ram Mandir

For the past few months, Modi had also been projecting the 2024 general elections as one of development and legacy and he has spoken about this on many occasions. BJP also believes that in the last few years, from reviving the heritage to taking many other new initiatives, a new spirit of identifying our roots and boasting about it has emerged in the country, which will benefit the party. It will not at all be wrong to say that in this sequence, the biggest bet is from Ram temple. Modi himself can give a big message by being present on this occasion and it is believed that BJP’s election campaign can also start from this occasion.

Though BJP top notch leaders deny it out rightly, some were bold enough to accept the importance and ‘usage’ of the issue. Late Sushma Swaraj once said that the Ram Mandir issue is like a bearer cheque that could be en-cashed only once (in the elections). Former BJP president late Kusha Bhau Thakre, while replying to a similar question, once said that a boat is only useful to cross a river and you cannot carry it on your shoulders once you have crossed the river.

The theme of every election is different and every party establishes its strongest point as a narrative in its own way. In such a situation, it is natural that BJP will present and use this opportunity for Hindu renaissance along with developmental issues in the next elections. The biggest advantage for them is that it will not be easy for the opposition parties to counter it.

As told to Rajat Rai

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Tag: Ram Temple Consecration

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