Cong insulted Lord Ram by refusing invite for 'pran pratishta' ceremony: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused the Congress of making several attempts to stall the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and for insulting Lord Ram by rejecting the invitation for the 'pran pratishta' ceremony.

Addressing an election rally here, Modi also said that the Congress is immersed in the swamp of appeasement and can never come out of it.

"The Congress made several efforts so that the Ram temple in Ayodhya is not constructed. But when the people of the country made such a beautiful temple by contributing every penny, and when the temple people forgave all your sins, and invited you for the 'pran prathistaa', you insulted Lord Ram by rejecting the invitation and expelled leaders, who attended it, for six years," he said.

"Every family of the country contributed according to their devotion. The people of Pilibhit also gifted a huge flute to Ayodhya. But, the people of INDI alliance had hatred even before the construction of Ram temple and they have hatred even today," Modi said.

Recalling the contributions made by former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh for the construction of the temple, he said, "Our Kalyan Singh ji dedicated his life and government for the Ram temple".

Singh, who was one of the prominent faces of the Ram mandir agitation, was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh when the Babri mosque was demolished in 1992.

Sharpening his attack on the Congress, Modi said, "Congress is so immersed in the swamp ('daldal') of appeasement that it can never get out of it. The manifesto prepared by the Congress seems to be that of Muslim League rather than that of the Congress." The prime minister also asserted that his government is working towards the goal of making a developed India.

Amid the various difficulties being faced by the world now, India is showing that there is nothing impossible for it to achieve, he said, adding this has been possible due to every single vote of the people.

"No matter how difficult the goal is, if India is determined to achieve it, it will definitely achieve. Today, with this inspiration and energy, we are working towards the resolution of a developed India," he said.

"Amidst the difficulties of the entire world, India is showing that there is nothing impossible for it," he said.

Modi said that there was a time when the Congress government used to ask for help from the world, but during the Covid pandemic, medicines were made available to the whole world from India.

"When India became the world's fastest growing economic power, were you (people) proud of it or not? When our Chandrayaan hoisted the tricolour on the moon, were you proud or not? The grand G20 summit held in India was praised all over the world," he added.

"When the country becomes strong, the world listens to it," he added.

(With agency inputs)