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Ahead of the Ram temple consecration, hundreds of Congress workers from Uttar Pradesh, including party’s state unit chief Ajay Rai and state in-charge Avinash Pande, will visit Ayodhya on January 15 on Makar Sankranti.
Notably, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Sonia Gandhi, and Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have been invited to the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya to be held on January 22. But it remains unclear whether they will attend the ceremony or not. Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda have also been invited.
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According to the Congress office-bearers from Uttar Pradesh, they will take a dip in the Saryu river, and then visit the Ram temple and Hanumangarhi temple.
Rai said, “A decision has been taken to visit Ayodhya on January 15. At 9.13 am, the Sun will become ‘Uttarayan’ (northward movement of the Sun), and at 9.15 am, we will depart for Ayodhya chanting ‘Jai Siya Ram’ after observing the tradition of breaking coconut.”
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Rai said it was not a political move but a religious one. He said, “We are going there because of our religious feelings. This is my first visit to Ayodhya after I became the chief of the UP unit of the Congress. Prior to this, I had visited Ayodhya several times.”
Meanwhile, Pande, newly appointed AICC in-charge of UP, said the Congress has never played with the ‘aastha’ (faith) of people.
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“On January 15, I am going there (Ayodhya) to attend a personal programme. Prabhu Shri Ram resides in our heart,” Pandey told media.
Pande also said that no “political meaning” should be derived from his proposed visit to Ayodhya and that he was going there owing to his faith.
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“Be it Lord Ram or Lord Krishna, the Congress has never played with the ‘aasthaa’ of the people, and will never do so,” he said.
Last month, Congress appointed Pande the general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, replacing Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Vadra is the general secretary “without any assigned portfolio”, according to a statement issued by the party.
Pande was earlier AICC in-charge of Jharkhand.
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Published: 08 Jan 2024, 06:30 AM IST
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