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The political slugfest over the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya continued in the state of Bihar, with two sitting ministers from Nitish Kumar’s Cabinet taking a swipe at the ruling BJP over the timing of the event.
Bihar minister Surendra Ram accused the BHP of exploiting the Ram Temple issue for political gains, adding that “young people of the country need jobs and not the ceremonial akshat that were being distributed”.
Bihar’s labour resource minister, Surendra Ram, launched an attack on the BJP over the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple. He questioned the timing and intent behind the consecration, alleging that the BJP was attempting to conceal its shortcomings by creating a massive propaganda campaign around the temple consecration.
Reminding the public of the rupee’s decline against the dollar, Surendra Ram claimed that the BJP aimed to gain political benefits by exploiting the Ram Mandir issue. He said that the youth needed jobs, not ceremonial offerings like Akshat that were being distributed.
In another instance, Tej Pratap Yadav, son of RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav and the state minister for environment, forests, and climate change, questioned the sanctity of the scheduled date for the consecration, i.e., January 22, 2024.
Addressing an event in Patna, Tej Pratap expressed scepticism about the extravagance surrounding Ram Temple Pran Pratistha ceremony. He claimed to be joined by four Shankaracharyas as he raised questions over the grandeur of the occasion.
Adding a surreal twist, Tej Pratap asserted that Lord Ram had communicated to him in his dream, stating that he had no intention of returning on January 22, 2024. The audience responded with laughter to Tej Pratap’s unusual assertion.
Turning his attention to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Tej Pratap labelled the organisation as a devil that seeks to break up the nation for its own gains.
Meanwhile, the attacks by Rashtriya Janata Dal ministers evoked a sharp reaction from the BJP.
BJP spokesperson Kuntal Krishna remarked, “Perhaps (Surendra) Ram forgot that it is the RJD that plots unrest. It is on Lalu’s instructions that a campaign is being run to malign the Ram Mandir consecration.”
