'Have Not Gone To Ram Temple, Nor Will I Ever Go,' Says TMC MP Kirti Azad

Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad on Sunday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party over its repeated references to the Ram Temple and declared that he has never visited the Ayodhya shrine and will never do so. Azad also accused the BJP of using religious sentiment for political gain.

Azad said he had visited the Kamakhya Temple but not the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. His remarks came amid a wider political row over temple visits.

Akhilesh Visit Row

Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to visit the Ram Mandir and Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya on December 12. That proposed visit has drawn criticism from the BJP with

the party calling Yadav's planned visit a political exercise ahead of the elections. It has also accused him of seeking electoral mileage by visiting prominent religious sites.

Azad's Temple Remarks

Azad spelt out his objection in direct terms.

"I do not understand why this Bharatiya Janata Party, which is involved in extortion and stealing donations, keeps talking about the Ram Temple. I have not visited the Ram Temple; I have visited the Kamakhya Temple. Are they suggesting that a person is not a Hindu if they worship Goddess Kamakhya? I worship Goddess Kamakhya, but I have not visited the Ram Temple," he told IANS.

He then referred to Mata Sita, her birthplace and the episode of the Agni Pariksha to challenge what he presented as the BJP's test of Hindu identity through Ayodhya. Azad linked that to his own place of origin and his practice of worship at other temples.

"I belong to the birthplace of Mata Sita. Mata Sita had to undergo the Agni Pariksha, and even after passing it, she was abandoned. Is it right for any human being to treat his wife this way -- to make her undergo the Agni Pariksha and then abandon her even after she passes it? This is not right. I visit Kamakhya Temple and Tripura Sundari Temple. Does that mean I am not a Hindu?" the TMC MP said.

BJP Accused Of Politics

Azad then sharpened his stand.

"I have not gone to Ram Temple, nor will I ever go. I'll go to Mathura," he said.

He further accused the BJP of exploiting religion for politics and argued that the party had failed to establish the ideals of Ram Rajya in the country. He also repeated his charge that the party had little else to campaign on beyond Ram.

"They are doing this for politics and are orchestrating robberies and thefts at every temple. They do not have any other issue than Ram. The BJP has not brought Ram Rajya but Ravan Rajya in the country," he added.

(With Inputs From IANS)