New Delhi: The BJP questioned the motivation behind AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s Ram Temple visit on Monday, claiming he is part of an (INDIA bloc) alliance which is hell-bent on destroying Sanatam Dharma. The party accused him of “changing colours according to the mood of the nation”.
“I am not amazed by this fact because he has a history of changing colours according to the mood of the nation. Does he have the same thoughts as that of the INDIA alliance which he is part of, the alliance which compares Sanatana Dharma to diseases and the alliance which is hell-bent on destroying Sanatan Dharma?” BJP leader Manoj Tiwari said on Monday evening.
He was apparently referring to the remark made by DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin last year, in which he severely criticised Sanatam Dharma.
Also read: Udhayanidhi Stalin’s ‘Sanatan Dharma’ remark sparks row, says ‘ready’ for legal challenge
DMK and AAP are constituents of the Opposition’s INDIA bloc.
“Is he the same Arvind Kejriwal, or is he the one who quoted his grandmother as saying that Ram cannot come by destroying the mosque?… Or does he think he can play with the emotions of people as and when he wants?” he added.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva accused Kejriwal of indulging in appeasement politics. He said he suddenly turned ‘sanatani’ to save his existence.
“Kejriwal has been doing appeasement politics for the last nine years and has suddenly turned ‘sanatani‘. When the entire country is blessing PM Modi for Ram Mandir, Kejriwal went to Ayodhya today to save his existence,” he said.
Kejriwal talks about indescribable calm
Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann visited Ayodhya today, weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ram Temple.
“I felt an indescribable calm after offering prayers to Ram Lalla… Lakhs of devotees visit here every day, and it is indeed heartwarming to see the love and devotion people carry. I prayed for the welfare of all,” CM Kejriwal told reporters after his visit.
Punjab CM Mann said that it was his long-pending desire to have ‘darshan’ of Ram Lalla.
“It was a long-pending desire to visit Ram Lalla…I prayed for the welfare of the country,” he told reporters.
In January, Kejriwal turned down the invitation to Ram Temple’s consecration ceremony.
“I want to visit Ayodhya with my family. My parents are very keen to visit the Ram Temple, so we’ll go someday after January 22,” he had said.
Several Opposition leaders, including Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, had turned down the invitation to the ceremony, claiming the BJP wanted to score political brownie points with the event.
Even though Kejriwal is officially an INDIA bloc ally, he has announced that his party will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Punjab alone.
With inputs from PTI, ANI