'Anti-Lord Ram face...': Smriti Irani slams Congress for refusing to attend Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya

Hours after the Congress said it won't attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday said she was not surprised by this decision and that the grand old party's "anti-Lord Ram face" was before the nation.  

"Congress party's anti-Lord Ram face is before the nation. It is no surprise that under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, the party that had filed an affidavit before the court that Lord Ram is a fictional character, its leadership declined the invitation to the 'pranpratishtha' of Ram Temple," she said while speaking to reporters.

Irani, who defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, said that under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Congress, the INDIA Alliance had insulted Sanatan Dharma again and again. "Now, the declining of the invitation to the 'pranpratishtha' by leaders of the INDI Alliance reflects their anti-Sanatan mindset."

Earlier today, Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh in a statement said the party's Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will not attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22.  

The Congress leader said the inauguration of the "incomplete temple" by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been brought forward "for electoral gain". "While abiding by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and honouring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event," he said.