Congress Leaders Sonia Gandhi, Kharge Decline Invitation To Ram Mandir Inauguration Calling It "RSS/BJP Event"

Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury declined the invitation to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony calling it "an RSS/BJP event".

In a statement released by Jairam Ramesh, General Secretary (Communications), Congress, it was mentioned that the three leaders were invited to the Ram Mandir inauguration but they "respectfully" declined it.

Calling religion a "personal matter", the Congress accused BJP of making Ayodhya temple a "political project" and said that "the inauguration of the incomplete temple has been obviously brought forward for electoral gains."

Congress is leading the opposition bloc called INDI Alliance and many of its ally parties have already declined the invitation to Ram Mandir's inauguration. The first of them was CPI(M) who alleged the BJP of politicising religious programme.

The most recent comment came from Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee who called the Ram Mandir inauguration a "gimmick Show" by the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

After receiving the invitation, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal had earlier announced that the party would reveal its stance later.