PM Modi slams Congress for ’insulting’ Lord Ram by declining Ayodhya pran pratishta invite

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the Congress on Tuesday for ‘insulting’ Lord Ram and attempting to ‘stall the construction’ of the Ayodhya temple. The senior politician also likened the newly released Congress election manifesto to something that could have originated with the Muslim League during a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh.

“Every family of the country contributed according to their devotion. The people of Pilibhit also gifted a huge flute to Ayodhya. But, the people of INDI alliance had hatred even before the construction of Ram temple and they have hatred even today,” the PM said.

He accused the Opposition party of making several efforts to stop construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Modi said that the Congress had “insulted Lord Ram” by choosing to reject the pran pratistha invite and subsequently “expelling leaders who attended it for six years”.

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The senior politician also said that leaders from the INDIA bloc had been abusing and threatening him in order to stop the country's development. Modi asserted that Opposition leaders had hurled invectives when he fulfilled the guarantee of consecration of Lord Ram's idol at the Ayodhya temple. He also cited President Droupadi Murmu to contend that Congress had conspired to defeat the first tribal woman president of India.

“Modi bows either before Lord Mahakal or before the public and for the development of the country and its service, I have also learnt to tolerate abuses,” he added during another poll rally in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. 

Both Balaghat and Pilibhit will cast their votes during the first first phase of the Lok Sabha polls on April 19. Elections are being held across India in seven phases with votes being counted on June 4.

(With inputs from agencies)