‘Would they have tolerated it?’ Mallikarjun Kharge reveals why he skipped Ayodhya Ram Mandir consecration ceremony

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said that he skipped the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya since people from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities continue to face discrimination over entry into temples across India. “If I go, would they have tolerated it?” Kharge asked.

“My people are still not allowed today in all the temples. Leave Ram Mandir, anywhere you go, there is a fight for entry… small temples in a village, they don’t allow. You don’t allow drinking water, you don’t allow educational institutions, you don’t tolerate even a bridegroom who goes in a procession on a horse… people pull them and beat them. Keeping a moustache… tell them to clean it. So you expect me… If I go, would they have tolerated it,” said Kharge, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community.

Kharge was responding to a question on the Congress’ decision to skip the consecration ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rejecting the PM’s charge that the Congress skipped the Ayodhya event for political reasons, Kharge said it was a matter of personal faith and whoever wants to go could go on that day or any other.

“We told our people ‘Jiski aastha hai, definitely jao. Hum jo jis waqt jana hain, us waqt jayenge (Those who have faith should definitely go. We will go at a time of our choosing)’,” the Congress president said.

Kharge also accused the BJP government of “humiliating” President Droupadi Murmu and her predecessor Ram Nath Kovind because of their Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste origins.

“Why did you not allow (President Droupadi) Murmu along with the Prime Minister? She is the first citizen of this country. You didn’t allow (her). At the same time, the inauguration of (the new) Parliament (building)… you did not allow her to come there and inaugurate it. (Former president Ram Nath) Kovind… he was there… a Scheduled Caste man as President. You did not allow him to lay the foundation stone of the Parliament (building). If other community people would have been there, you would have never violated these rules. Because they are Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe — and you talk much about this, talk about our rights — you humiliate, and you tell everybody that Congress people did not come,” he said.

The Congress’ decision to skip the consecration ceremony sparked controversy with the BJPa ccusing the party of indulging in vote bank politics and claiming that the fear of losing out on minority votes was behind it. Kharge said that the Ram Temp,le consecration ceremony was not a party function but for people who have faith.

“It is purely a religious function and it is the people who have got faith, it is their function. And they could have gone. I don’t have any animosity with any people. We have got 33 crore gods and goddesses. If they allow my people to worship, we will worship all 33 crore gods and goddesses,” Kharge said.

The Congress president’s remarks came during The Indian Express Idea Exchange programme.

Speaking at the event, KHarge also rubbished the PM’s ‘400 paar’ campaign pitch and claimed that people’s yearning for change would deny Modi his dream of coming to power for a third consecutive term.

“We are collecting the numbers required to prevent him and we will show him that it is not the Opposition but the people of this country who want change. The people are unhappy,” he said, adding that the BJP’s nervousness was evident from the fact that the BJP was busy amassing all those people whom the party had once branded as corrupt.