‘Siddaramaiah is our Ram…why should he visit Ayodhya?’: Congress leader stokes row, BJP fumes

Chitradurga (Karnataka) [India], January 2 (ANI): Congress leader former Karnataka minister, H Anjaneya, stoked a major controversy on Monday, equation Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with Lord Ram.
Further ruffling feathers in the saffron camp amid the feverish anticipation around the grand opening of the Ram Temple on January 22, the Congress leader said the idol to be installed inside the sanctum sanctorum in Ayodhya would be 'BJP's Ram'.
The minister's remarks close on the heels of the CM's statement earlier this week that since he hasn't received a formal invitation to the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple this month, he has yet to decide on attending the event.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Anjaneya said, "He (Siddaramaiah) is our Ram. Why should he visit Ayodhya for the consecration event? He could pay obeisance at his native village which has a Ram temple."
"Why should he go there (Ram Temple in Ayodhya)? The idol that is to be installed there is the BJP's Ram. They are only sending out invites to BJP people and singing bhajans (devotional songs). So, let them do that. Our Ram is everywhere, he's in our hearts," the Congress leader added.
Further accusing the BJP of dividing people along the lines of religion and communities, the Congress leader said the ruling party wasn't prioritising the larger 'social issues' that the country is grappling with.
"The BJP always does this, dividing people on the lines of religion and community. They are aggressively wooing a particular community for votes at the expense of others," Anjaneya said.
"They are talking big about raising the Ram Temple when homeless people in the country are literally living in the gutter. They are spending days and nights under trees. They should build affordable homes for them, give them a better life. Those would be the ideal Ram temples, as opposed to raising a shrine for votes," the Congress leader said while speaking to reporters in Chitradurga on Monday.
Hitting back at the Congress leader over his statement, BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal cautioned him to speak of Lord Ram and other Hindu deities with respect and dignity.
"It is our misfortune that such idiots, anti-Hindu (leaders) have been our ministers," Yatnal posted on X.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22.
Preparations are underway in full swing for the event, which is expected to be attended by thousands of dignitaries and people from all sections of society.
The idol carved by sculptor Yogiraj Arun from Karnataka has been finalised for the consecration at the Ram Temple on January 22.
Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.
According to the Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, arrangements will be made for 10,000-15,000 people. (ANI)