Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday came down heavily on Union Home minister Amit Shah after the latter announced the date of inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya at a rally in poll-bound Tripura. Questioning Shah’s credentials to announce the inauguration of a temple, Kharge advised that Shah should stick to his job as a politician and focus on the duties assigned to him.
“Are you the pujari of the Ram Temple. Are you the mahant of the Ram Temple? Let the mahants, sadhus and sants talk about it. Who are you to talk about the opening of the temple? You are a politician. Your job is to keep the country secure, maintain law and order, ensure food for the people and provide farmers with adequate prices,” Kharge said, addressing a rally in Haryana’s Panipat on the sidelines of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“There is an election in Tripura. (Amit) Shah goes there and says Ram Temple is being constructed and its inauguration is on (January) 1st. Everybody has faith in God but why are you announcing it during the election?” the Congress president asked.
Addressing the rally, Kharge further said that the government had faltered on its promise to double farmers’ income and increase MSP while “roaming around with daggers” and pitting people against each on by causing divisions on the basis of caste and religion.
On the contrary, Kharge said, Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is aimed at bridging that divide. “It is not for votes. This is in the national interest, this is in your interest, this is in the interest of the farmers, youth, women and the Dalits,” he said.
On Thursday, Shah accused the Congress
“Babur destroyed it and left and from the time the country gained Independence, these Congress people got the case embroiled in the courts – Sessions Court, then the High Court, then the Supreme Court, again back to the Sessions Court. Modiji came and then one morning, the Supreme Court order was out. Modiji performed the bhoomipujan for Ram Lalla’s temple and the construction work began,” Shah said, praising the Prime Minister for expediting the construction of the Ram Temple after coming to power.
Assembly elections in Tripura are due in March next year.