New Delhi: Congress leaders have raised strong objections to the saffron flag hoisted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. They said the ceremony used faith for political gain and ignored India’s constitutional commitment to equal respect for all religions.
Congress leader Rashid Alvi said the Prime Minister must answer why he chose to hoist a religious flag at a temple when India does not recognise any state religion. He asked if the Prime Minister would perform a similar act at a mosque, gurdwara or church. He said the move targeted Uttar Pradesh’s political climate and inflamed religious sentiment.
Congress MP Imraan Masood said faith is personal and protected by the Constitution. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai said the government was treating worship as marketing. He said the separation of the pran pratishtha and the flag hoisting made the event look like political promotion.
The criticism came a year after the BJP lost the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, which covers Ayodhya, despite the temple inauguration. The government described the Dhwajarohan ceremony as cultural resurgence. Modi highlighted the saffron colour of the flag and its symbols linked to the Ram tradition. He said India must remove the mindset of colonial superiority.
Bhagwat said Hindu society had defended its truth and that the completion of the temple brought relief to those who fought for it.
