Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his disappointment on Thursday, stating that the Congress had a chance to "reduce its sin" by attending the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple. However, with the party declining the invitation, Sarma believes history will continue to perceive it as "anti-Hindu."
Sarma asserted that the Congress wasn't deserving of such an invitation in the first place, considering its historical stance on the Ram temple in Ayodhya. In a post on X, he mentioned, "The @VHPDigital (Vishva Hindu Parishad) had given the Congress party a golden opportunity to reduce its sin by extending their leadership an invitation to attend the Shri Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha Mahotsava."
Adding his perspective, Sarma remarked, "Although, in my humble view, they did not deserve such an invitation at the first place for their views against the Ram Mandir from the very beginning."
Sarma highlighted that by accepting the invitation, the Congress could have symbolically apologized to the "Hindu Samaj." However, he drew parallels with the past, mentioning, "However, like Pt Nehru did with the Somnath Temple, the Congress leadership did the same with the Ram Temple. History will continue to judge them as an anti-Hindu party."
Accompanying his post, Sarma shared the statement from Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who declined the invitation on behalf of Sonia Gandhi, Mallikaarjun Kharge, and Adhir Ranjan Choudhury. Ramesh justified the decision by stating that religion is a personal matter, and the temple inauguration had been strategically scheduled for electoral gains by the RSS/BJP.
In response to this, Sarma expressed his disappointment, emphasizing that the Congress had missed an opportunity to align with the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, as well as to abide by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment. He concluded by asserting that history would continue to portray the Congress as an anti-Hindu party.
(With Agency Inputs)
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