Those who declined Ram temple inauguration invitation risk voter rejection: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Sunday (April 28) that individuals declining invitations for the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya may face rejection from the electorate during the current Lok Sabha elections. His remarks seemingly targeted the Congress party for its absence at the event.

Modi said a decision on building the Ram temple should have been taken the very next day of the country's independence.

Targets Congress

Targeting the Congress on the issue, he alleged that the "same forces" tried till the last minute to ensure that the Ram temple was not built and had approached the court on the last day as well.

"The Congress and its coterie tried for 70 years that the Rama temple should not be built," the prime minister said addressing a public gathering at this taluka headquarters town in Uttara Kannada district.

The trustees of Ram temple ignored all the hurdles put by the Congress and its allies, went to their houses and invited them to attend the consecration ceremony, which was a kind gesture on their part, he said.

'Country will reject them'

"They (Congress leaders) rejected the Ram temple inauguration invitation. The country will reject those who turned down the Ram temple invitation," Modi said.

He told the crowd about another "surprising development" where the Ansari family, which had fought against Ram temple for two to three generations and wanted Babri Masjid in the same place, wholeheartedly accepted the invitation to attend the consecration ceremony.

"The Congress and its coterie rejected the invitation by the Ram temple trustees to attend the consecration. Though Muslim, the Ansari family attended the consecration of the temple and were present throughout the event. Later, they gave a small idol of Lord Ram made of wood to his (Ansari) gunman. This is the difference," the prime minister said.

Decision on Temple

In Ayodhya, people had to wait for 500 years to see Lord Ram temple. Lakhs of people were killed, Modi said, adding, the decision to build the temple should have been taken the next day of independence.

"But they did not build the temple," he said, targeting the Congress. "For doing such things, one requires a 56 inch chest." Modi underlined that the Ram temple was not built with government or taxpayers’ money, but with the money of devotees of Lord Ram.

"The vote bank politics has become ugly and destructive. They tried till the last minute to ensure that the Ram temple is not built. They went to the court on the last day as well. The Congress and its coterie tried for 70 years that the Ram temple was not built," he alleged.

Seeks public support

Seeking public support to the BJP, Modi emphasised that when there is a stable government with a majority, the whole world relies on it.

He said India is appreciated all over the world today and whenever an Indian goes anywhere overseas he/she holds his/her head high. This was made possible due to the power of votes.

"Whenever I meet big leaders six feet tall or 6.5 ft tall, however fair skin they are, it’s not Modi who meets them alone but 140 crore people stand behind me. I meet them with courage. It’s your vote, which gives me courage," the prime minister said.

'Cong destroyed Karnataka' 

He accused the Congress government of destroying Karnataka. "The Congress is encouraging an anti-social and anti-national mindset." Recalling the murder of Hubballi student Neha Hiremath, who was stabbed to death on April 18 by Fayaz Khondunaik on college campus in Dharwad, Modi said every parent is worried about the safety of their daughters, "all due to the sins of Congress".

"Where did the courage come from the criminals to kill girls inside a college campus? Because they know that those hungry for vote banks will save them. This gives them courage," the prime minister said.

He said the poor law and order situation has become a hallmark of the Congress in Karnataka.

Modi told the gathering that blasts in various cities including Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Ayodhya, New Delhi, Gandhi Nagar, Surat and an explosion inside a train in Mumbai were the regular news items before 2014.

"Didn’t such news stop coming after 2014? But in Bengaluru, soon after they (Congress) came, the terrorists carried out explosions. In Bengaluru, the hitech city which is known worldwide, an explosion takes place in a café," he said.

Slamming some Congress leaders for their purported statement initially that it was a cooking gas cylinder explosion and not the bomb blast, the prime minister wondered whether the "brains of Congress leaders exploded or the cylinder." Without referring to Pakistan, Modi said there was a time when the neighbouring country exported terrorists to India, who would escape after killing our soldiers. "Now surgical strikes take place. This is the new India, which will kill (terrorists) inside their house."

(With agency inputs)