"Those Not Going Are Weaponising Religion, Not Us": Union Minister On Temple Row

The consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya - scheduled for January 22 - will be led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is being widely seen as the cornerstone of the BJP's campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi has hit out at opposition leaders amid the row over invites to the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya next month. Responding to the CPIM's Brinda Karat - who this morning said her party will skip the ceremony because the BJP is "using religion as a political weapon" - Ms Lekhi told NDTV "those not going are weaponising religion... not us".

"Had they (the Left) been present there would have been no weaponisation. The weaponisation is being done by people speaking against a particular religion. If invites were sent and some didn't come, then who is weaponising it? Those who sent invites or those who chose not to go?"

"There is no politics being done by us... they (the opposition) don't follow what Ram preached."