Himachal Congress Minister says will attend consecration ceremony at Ram Temple

Vikramaditya Singh to attend Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya; Congress leaders yet to confirm.

Himachal Pradesh Minister and Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh on January 8 said he will attend the consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya even as Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge are yet to confirm their presence at the event.

Mr. Singh, the son of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, said that he would like to extend thanks to Vishav Hindu Parishad and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, who have extended the invitation to him.

“My father was always in favour of Ram Temple movement. It is not a political issue for us; it is a religious matter. We are Hindu and taking our religion forward, and entrusting faith in our traditions is our culture, and we will keep moving in this direction,” Mr. Singh, who is the Public Works Department Minister, said.

“On January 22, when the ‘pran partishtha’ ceremony will take place, Prime Minister Modi will also be there. We will deliberate on the logistics, but I can certainly confirm that I’ll visit,” he added.

Earlier Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had said the event should not be politicised. He said, “Lord Ram is the core of our belief; he is our ideal. Regardless of whether we get invited or not, it is our responsibility to follow the path shown by Lord Ram.”

Apart from Mr. Kharge and Ms. Gandhi, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has also been invited for the ceremony.