Why is the Opposition Compelled to Distance Itself from Ayodhya?

Kumar Rakesh

The political situation in Bharat regarding Ayodhya, the city of Lord Ram, is still ‘chaotic’. While the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP are receiving praise from around the world, the opposition parties are facing confusion and criticism. Their previous strategies are backfiring, and they are trapped in their own web. They are struggling to find a way out of this glorious Ayodhya situation. These leaders, who once used various excuses to visit Ayodhya, are now feeling left out and dejected for not receiving an invitation.

After almost five hundred years of religious oppression, 22 January 2024 will mark Bharat’s day of religious freedom. The entire world is celebrating the “Pran Pratishtha ceremony” at Shri Ram Janam Mandir in Ayodhya. This event has brought immense joy and happiness to everyone. It is being hailed as a significant milestone in religious freedom, even though Bharat only gained political freedom in 1947.

Despite this, many opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Adhir Ranjan Choudhary from the Congress party, have declined the invitation to Ayodhya. This decision may further tarnish their reputation. However, some leaders from Uttar Pradesh visited Ayodhya on January 15 and met with their seniors, attempting to redeem themselves.

In relation to the construction of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple, a book published in 2014 by former Congress leader and renowned writer Kunwar Natwar Singh, titled “One Life is not Enough,” has gained attention once again. The book extensively discusses Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s admiration for the invader Babar. It mentions Indira Gandhi’s visit to Babar’s tomb in Afghanistan, quoting her exact words, where she referred to herself and her descendants as Babar’s heirs. This revelation shocked Natwar Singh. It is worth noting that the first Prime Minister of Bharat, Jawaharlal Nehru, also visited Babar’s tomb in 1959, and Rahul Gandhi, the current leader of Congress, paid his respects there in 2005. Babar had demolished the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya to build a mosque, although it is a historical fact that many mosques in Bharat were built on the sites after demolishing  temples.

When confronted with these facts, Congress leaders are often left speechless and resort to making various comments. The opposition parties, including Congress, are finding themselves in a difficult position regarding the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple. They are attempting to corner the RSS and BJP with different arguments, but their efforts are proving futile. The Samajwadi Party whose leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, ordered the indiscriminate firing on Kar Sevaks during the Ayodhya Kar Seva in 1990, resulting in the untimely deaths of thousands of innocent people, that party is now trying to align himself with the devotees of Lord Ram. However, their efforts are in vain. On the contrary, most opposition parties are following a similar pattern, with SP leaders like Swami Prasad Maurya openly opposing Hindus to appease the Muslim vote bank.

The primary reason behind the opposition parties boycotting the Shri Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony is their fear of losing the Muslim vote bank. However, even that support is no longer guaranteed. The opposition leaders believe that supporting the construction of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple will cost them Muslim votes. However, the 2019 election results in Uttar Pradesh showed that more than 8 percent of progressive and nationalist Muslims supported the BJP. This has put pressure on the opposition parties. In this era of changing times, a significant portion of the Muslim community is happy and joyful. Their happiness is evident in Ayodhya, where a Muslim brother has donated his land to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Trust for a grand feast. Another Muslim brother has pledged to write “Jai Shri Ram” on the hands of 51 thousand people for free. These facts seem to be ignored by the so-called secularists.

If we look at the history of the temple, we cannot forget the contributions of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and former Chief Minister and Governor Kalyan Singh in removing the major obstacles to the construction of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple. It is widely known that without the removal of the Babri structure on 6 December 1992, the construction of the new temple would not have been possible today.

It seems that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi sought revenge on former PM of Bharat PV Narasimha Rao for his role in the temple’s construction. She insulted him posthumously by not allowing his mortal remains to be displayed at the Congress headquarters in Delhi after his death in 2004. Narasimha Rao had also written a historical book on Ayodhya, titled “Ayodhya – 6 December 1992,” which he had instructed to be published after his death. The book was later banned by the Sonia-Manmohan government during their tenure. However, efforts were made to make it available with great support of BJP leaders like Sushma Swaraj and SS Ahluwalia with my special efforts during that time in 2005 and hundreds of photocopies were placed on the Parliament’s table as a government document.

Bharat is rapidly changing, and for the first time since independence, it has emerged as the fifth-largest economic power in the world. Bharat is being recognized as a superpower on the global stage, with unexpected increases in foreign exchange reserves and a decrease in imports. Prime Minister Narendra Bhai Modi has stated that the construction of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple will generate business worth approximately one lakh crore rupees from the Pran Pratishtha ceremony alone. This represents the convergence of culture, religion, and economic development in Bharat’s journey towards becoming a new and the best nation in the world.

 Kumar Rakesh, Sr Journalist, Writer, Broadcaster has been actively involved in journalism and writing for approximately 35 years. He has worked in several esteemed media organizations in India and has been instrumental in creating 9 TV news channels in the country. Through his career, he has had the opportunity to travel to over 50 countries, reporting and writing on various topics. Kumar Rakesh has received numerous accolades and honors both in India and internationally for his contributions to the field. Currently, he serves as the editorial chairman of Global Governance News Group and Samagra Bharat Media Group. For any inquiries, please contact him at krakesh8@gmail.com.