Ram temple consecration: Pressure mounts on Congress from IUML against attending

Thiruvananthapuram: With the Congress party last week thanking the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the invitation to the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, pressure has started to mount on the grand old party from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala not to fall for the agenda set by the BJP.

In Kerala, IUML is the second-biggest ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and on Wednesday its General Secretary, PMA Salam, warned the Congress not to take the BJP’s bait.

“Ahead of all elections, the BJP comes out with one or the other gimmicks and this is one which is an agenda to turn our country into a Hindu country. The BJP is trying to create unnecessary tension and the Congress party should not fall into the trap,” said Salam.

The Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama, a Sunni organisation based here also came down strongly on the Congress party and this was made clear in its Wednesday’s editorial which said the soft Hindutva stand taken by the Congress party has dealt a telling blow.

“This was seen in the recent Assembly polls which saw the Congress taking a heavy beating. The CPI(M) and the CPI sensing that this is a litmus test to turn India into a Hindu country, decided not to attend the function. Likewise the Congress party also should take such a stand,” read the editorial.

On Wednesday, AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal ducked the question put to him on the possibility of the Congress party attending the consecration.