The new president of Indian National Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge (file photo)
Panipat: Slamming Union Home Minister Amit Shah for announcing poll-bound Tripura that Ram Temple will be ready by January 2024, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge asked whether Shah is the "Pujari" or "Mahant" of the temple, PTI reported.
Kharge aimed at Shah, saying, "Everyone has faith in god. But why did you make such an announcement, that too, in the run-up to the (Tripura Assembly) polls? And when the (2024 Lok Sabha) election is also slated for May, you are saying the Ram temple will be inaugurated.
"Who are you to make such an announcement? Are you the pujari or the mahant of the Ram temple?" he asked.
On Thursday, Shah announced that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya would be ready by next year, the year when the nation goes to the next general election. Shah's statement is viewed as another effort to use the temple for a victory in the Lok Sabha polls.
"Let the mahant and the seers say it. You are a politician. Your job is to keep the country secure, ensure law and order, ensure that people get food and give the price for farmers' produce. That is your job," Kharge told a crowd gathered as part of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The rally was attended by Rahul Gandhi as well as other Congress leaders like Kumari Selja, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, K C Venugopal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Shaktisinh Gohil, Kiran Choudhary, Digvijay Singh, Deepender Singh Hooda, D K Shivakumar and Udai Bhan.
The leader then talked on a multitude of issues to slam the government, including inflation, unemployment, BJP party making tall promises during poll campaigns but never fulfilling them after coming to power.