• By Vivek Raj
  • Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:33 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

The invitation extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, has stirred up a political debate, with opposition leaders questioning its implications as India heads into the Lok Sabha election season next year.

DMK leader TKS Elangovan has once again sparked controversy with his statement over Hindu God Shri Ram. He said, “Ram’s birth is myth, They’ve demolished history and replaced it with mythology.”

 

In a video byte to ANI, the former Rajya Sabha MP and a senior leader of the DMK said “What can I say? They have demolished history and replaced it with mythology. Any country should be proud of its history, it should know the history. Ram’s birth is mythology, it is a story from Ramayana. It is literature. They want to replace history with mythology. That is what the BJP is trying to do. With these people in power, what can we expect?…He wants to make use of it as a political tool. He is not interested in Ram. BJP does not consider Ram as an important thing but their political gain becomes important so they are making use of Ram for their political gains.”

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This controversy is not the first instance of remarks from DMK leaders causing uproar. In September 2022, DMK MP A. Raja, while addressing an event organised by Dravida Kazhagam, made derogatory comments about Hindus and the Hindu faith, stating that all Shudras are children of prostitutes and that they will remain so until they stay in Hinduism. TKS Elangovan, in a defending stance, mentioned that the "entry of Hinduism" had spoiled Tamil Nadu.

Concerns were also raised by various opposition leaders regarding the PM Modi's invitation for the Ram Temple's inauguration. Congress leader Salman Khurshid and Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamalnath lashed out at the BJP, with Khurshid stating, "Is the invitation going to just one party?

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Champat Rai, the General Secretary of Ram Janambhoomi Trust, confirmed that the installation of the idol of Lord Ram at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is scheduled for January 22 next year.