New Delhi: Amidst the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) stance on abstaining from the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, AAP MP and former cricketer Harbhajan Singh has expressed his intention to attend the event on January 22, regardless of the party's position.
“I will go, no matter who wants to or not. It does not matter if the Congress wants to go or not, but I will certainly go,” affirmed Harbhajan Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP, in a statement to ANI. He emphasised that his decision stems from his personal belief in God, and if anyone takes issue with it, they are free to do as they please.
Harbhajan Singh stands out as the lone AAP leader from Punjab refusing to adhere to the party's decision, with other party MPs from the state unlikely to partake in the Ayodhya event.
AAP's national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, earlier stating that he had not received an invite for the ceremony, hinted at not participating in the function but expressed a desire to visit the Ram temple with his family later.
Among the seven Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab, including Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak, Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, Sanjiv Arora, Ashok Mittal, and Harbhajan Singh, Seechewal indicated that he would not attend the ceremony. He mentioned, “We have no plan to go for the ceremony, but God belongs to everyone. So we will eventually go and seek blessings at the Ram temple.”
While Sahney's aide stated that he is currently abroad and unavailable, Arora's aide confirmed his non-attendance at the event. MP Mittal mentioned that he had not received an invitation and, therefore, would not be present.
AAP's chief spokesperson, Malvinder Singh Kang, reiterated the party's stance, emphasising that faith is a private matter. He stated, "Everybody is an individual. Everybody has faith in Ram Chander Maharaj. Everyone has the right to celebrate him in his own way. Nobody has stopped anyone from the party."
AAP's position underscores the private nature of faith, contrasting with allegations that the BJP is politicising the issue.