Bhopal: The Congress, which is preparing for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, has urged its cadres to recite Sundarkand (a part of Ramayana) and Hanuman Chalisa in preparation for the coming Assembly polls next year.
BJP leaders have called the move hypocritical, pointing out that Congress leaders have described Lord Ram as an imaginary character.
The MP Congress president Kamal Nath instructed party leaders and workers to commemorate Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti, respectively, on April 10 and 16.
"On both these auspicious religious festivals, recitation of Lord Ram Katha, programmes of Ramlila and worship of Lord Ram should be organised. Besides, the recitation of Sundarkand and Hanuman Chalisa should be organised on Hanuman Jayanti," stated the letter issued by Chandraprabhash Shekhar, a vice-president of Madhya Pradesh Congress.
At Chhindwara, Kamal Nath will address a congregation on Hanuman Jayanti and issue a message on Ramnavmi, the release said.
General secretary and media in charge of the MP Congress, KK Mishra, said that such directives have been issued before.
"PCC president Kamal Nath is a devotee of Lord Hanuman and has been holding such programmes in Chhindwara for the past several years. Congress leaders had organised similar programmes last year," added.
"This exposes the hypocrisy of Congress", said BJP spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi.
"The Congress plays the politics of appeasement. Congress leaders had termed Lord Ram and Ramsetu imaginary. They opposed the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. A Congress leader equated Hindus with terror organisations like ISIS and Boko Haram. The people know their hypocrisy and can't be misled," he said.
Congress came to power with the help of the BSP and SP in MP in the 2018 polls, but the Kamal Nath government lasted for only 15 months after a section of MLAs revolted and left the party, joining the BJP.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan later led the BJP into a second term in office.
In November 2023, the next MP elections will take place.