Lakshman Singh Criticizes Congress’s Decision to Decline ‘Pran Pratishtha’ Ceremony Invitation

Congress leader and former MLA Lakshman Singh, who is also the brother of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, has expressed his disagreement with the party’s decision to decline the invitation for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. He said that it was an inappropriate decision that would send a wrong message to the people and damage the party’s prospects in the upcoming elections.

Background

The ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Mandir is scheduled to take place on January 22, 2024, in which the idol of Lord Ram will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The ceremony is expected to draw around 7,000 people from various walks of life, including political leaders, religious figures, social activists and celebrities. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is overseeing the construction of the temple, has sent invitations to several prominent personalities, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

However, on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, the Congress turned down the invitation, calling it a “BJP/RSS event”. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the grand event was “clearly a Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh event” and that the Congress had nothing to do with it. He also said that the Congress respected the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, which paved the way for the construction of the temple, but did not endorse the BJP’s politics over it.

Lakshman Singh’s Reaction

Lakshman Singh, who had represented Raghogarh constituency in Madhya Pradesh four times as a Congress MLA, told ANI that he was against the party’s decision to decline the invitation and questioned the advisors of the party leadership. He said that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had initiated the process of opening the locks of the temple and supported its construction, but his assassination and subsequent political developments stalled the issue. He said that those who fought for the Ram Temple movement had the right to decide about the ceremony and that declining their invitation was disrespectful and counterproductive.

He said, “Those who fought (in the Ram Temple movement) will obviously make the decision (regarding pranpratishtha). They have made the decision. As far as invitation is concerned, what is the meaning of declining it? What message are we sending across? When Rajiv Gandhi got it unlocked, who are you to decline it? If our leadership keeps such advisors, the results would be the same as have come so far… The damage is done, it will be visible in the elections.”

He also distanced himself from his brother Digvijaya Singh’s statement on Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha, in which he had said that he would not attend the ceremony as he did not believe in idol worship. He said that Digvijaya Singh was a “gyanni mahapurush” (wise and great person) who knew more than him and that he could not speak about him. He added that he was devoted to Lord Ram and that everyone should attend the ceremony.

He said, “Digvijaya Singh is ‘gyanni mahapurush’ and knows much more than me. I can’t speak about him. Everyone should go (to Ayodhya), we will go there every year. Our devotion lies in Lord Ram.”

He further reiterated that declining the invitation was an inappropriate decision by the party high command.