Congress MLA’s Remark on Ram Lalla’s Idol Sparks Controversy in Uttarakhand Assembly
GG News Bureau
Dehradun, 7th Feb. The debate on the Uniform Civil Code Bill in the Uttarakhand Assembly today took an unexpected turn when a Congress MLA’s comment on the complexion of Ram Lalla’s idol in the Ayodhya Ram Temple derailed proceedings.
Adesh Singh Chauhan, Congress MLA from Jaspur, made the remark during his speech on the legislation, stating, “Our Ram was ‘saanvla’ — meaning dusky — but they made him ‘kaala’ (black).”
This statement triggered a massive uproar, with BJP ministers and legislators protesting against Chauhan’s comment.
Prem Chand Aggarwal, the finance and parliamentary work minister, condemned Chauhan’s remark, questioning how he could make such a statement about Lord Ram. As BJP legislators chanted “Jai Shri Ram,” Aggarwal accused the Congress of indulging in votebank politics.
The controversy stems from the installation of the 51-inch idol of Ram Lalla in the Ayodhya Ram Temple, carved out of black stone by Mysuru-based artist Arun Yogiraj.
The stone, a special black granite from Karnataka, is estimated to be 2.5 billion years old. This statue depicts a five-year-old Rama, with plans for additional idols of Lord Ram with Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman on the temple’s first floor.
