"Congress trying to sow seeds of hatred": Tripura CM Manik Saha slams Congress for turning down Ram Mandir invite

Slamming the party for doing 'divisive' politics in the country, Saha said that "Congress in wake of politics of appeasement, has forgotten the basic glories & culture of our country".

"At the time, when the barriers of social harmony were removed by both Hindu & Muslim communities, Indian National Congress is trying to sow the seeds of hatred," he said.

Saha claimed that the party has historically opposed the 'Ram Mandir' on all fronts.

"Shamelessness has also a limit but those who have blindfolded themselves what could be said to them. Congress top leaders should see their sins & introspect what they have done to this country. Whenever there had been an initiative of historical significance to the Ram Mandir, they had boycotted themselves and tried to create factions in society," he added.

The Congress party on Wednesday, 'respectfully' declined the invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya on January 22. The grand old party accused the BJP of using Ayodhya as a 'political project' and called it a 'BJP/RSS' event.

The Congress said that Lord Ram is worshipped by millions of people in the country and religion is a personal matter.

"But the RSS/BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain," the party said.

"While abiding by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and honouring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event," it added.

Meanwhile, Congress party's "respectful" decline to the inauguration ceremony did not do well with the BJP.

BJP leader BS Yediyurappa on Thursday slammed the party, calling its decision "unforgivable" which "has hurt sentiments of millions of Hindus".

"Rama idol is being installed on a special occasion in Ram Mandir. It is a bad thing that they are refusing to attend special occasion," the former Karnataka Chief Minister said. (ANI)