'Ram Mandir foundation stone laid, should we expect Ram Rajya?': Congress' Digvijaya Singh

Days after PM Modi performed the 'Bhumi Pujan' ceremony in Ayodhya, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh on Friday asked should "We expect a Ram Rajya after the Ram Temple foundation stone has been laid?" In a tweet in Hindi, he further said that Lord Rama spent 16 years in exile to fulfil the promise given by his father, "will our modern-day politicians also fulfil the promise?"

'Will the promises be fulfilled?'

Two days ahead of the 'bhumi pujan' of Ram Temple Digvijaya Singh on Monday said that the foundation stone for the temple was laid by former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi.

'This is wrong'

"The foundation stone has already been laid, Rajiv Gandhi Ji did it," Singh said when asked to comment on party leader Kamal Nath's remark that Rajiv Gandhi also wanted the construction of Ram temple to take place. However, Singh did not make any clarifications on his comment.

He further said that the Congress party is not against the construction of the Ram Temple but the politicisation of the issue. "I am a student of Swami Surupanandji Maharaj, Jagatguru Shankracharyaji, Dwarka Joshimath. I asked him when every important ceremony is done on 'mahurat' (auspicious time), why is the Ram temple foundation laying ceremony being done in August, which falls in 'Bhadav'. He said that this is wrong. I even posted it on my social media," Singh said.

PM Modi in Ayodhya

In a highly-anticipated event watched by millions on television, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday laid the foundation in Ayodhya of a Ram Temple. PM Modi described Ram as the common thread in India's unity in diversity and drew a parallel between the country's independence movement and "centuries" of people's struggle to build the temple at Ram Janmabhoomi.

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He cited values associated with Ram and said, "We have to take care of everyone's sentiments. We have to join stones for the construction of the Ram temple with mutual love, brotherhood."

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Some Ram Janmabhoomi movement leaders, including former deputy PM L K Advani, were not at the venue where the organisers had invited only 175 people. The guest list was short because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the invitees sat on chairs placed apart to maintain social distancing.

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Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust head Nritya Gopal Das were on the dais along with the PM.

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(With agency inputs)