Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge get Ayodhya temple invite, yet to accept

New Delhi, December 29

The Congress today acknowledged that party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi had received the invite to attend the consecration of the temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

The party, however, said it would take a decision at an “appropriate time” on whether the two leaders would attend the ceremony. Talking to reporters, Congress general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh said Sonia Gandhi and Kharge had been sent invitations by their names and the invites were not transferrable. While Sonia Gandhi has been invited in her capacity as chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), Kharge has been invited for holding the post of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress party president.

Ramesh said the decision on invites would depend on a number of factors, including the availability of the leaders. He mentioned the party’s preoccupation with the Manipur-to-Mumbai “Bharat Nyay Yatra” in this connection. The BNY is set to be launched from Imphal on January 14.

Asked about Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s comment that religion and politics should not be mixed, Ramesh said: “How can one disagree with that?” He, however, said Tharoor’s remark should not be construed as the voice of the Congress. Similarly, anything said by the Indian Overseas Congress president Sam Pitroda should not be taken as the point of view of the party, Ramesh said. In a recent interview, Pitroda had said that Ram Mandir wasn’t the real issue but unemployment was.

Ramesh also said he had no idea if Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had been invited.