Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 23 : Senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar criticized both the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF in Kerala on Tuesday, accusing them of hypocrisy in their criticism of the state’s involvement in the Ayodhya Ram Temple consecration ceremony. Javadekar emphasized that the ceremony was organized by the trust responsible for building the Shri Ram temple with public donations and was not a state-sponsored event. He declared, “Bharat has changed. But, You are not. Both LDF and Congress are hypocrites. People will not forgive you but forget you!”
The CPI-M-led LDF and opposition UDF, headed by the Congress, had criticized the BJP on Monday, alleging that the party turned the consecration ceremony into a state-sponsored event.
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the rituals related to the consecration of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan had raised concerns about conflating faith with politics for electoral gains.
Javadekar responded by questioning the sudden focus on Nehruvian secularism and challenging Vijayan and Satheesan to locate the term “secularism” in the Constitution from 1950 to 1975. He highlighted the historical context and stated that the term was added in 1975, embodying the principle of ‘Sarv Dharma Sambhav,’ meaning respect for all religious faiths.
Addressing the absence of certain leaders at the Ayodhya ceremony, Javadekar mentioned, “Only pseudo-secularists” were notably absent, taking an apparent swipe at Sitaram Yechury and Jairam Ramesh, whose parties rejected the invitation.
Javadekar predicted that such attitudes may not resonate with the changing sentiments of a new Bharat, where people from diverse backgrounds participated in the celebrations, emphasizing unity and shared cultural heritage. He shared his personal experience witnessing the consecration of the Shri Ram Temple in Wayanad, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and participating in celebrations with fellow citizens in Kannur.
