N. Ramchander Rao Counters Mani Shankar Aiyar’s Remarks on Ram Mandir

Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao strongly criticised comments made by senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar regarding the inauguration of the Ram Mandir Ayodhya . He alleged that the Indian National Congress was engaging in “vote bank politics” in the name of secularism.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Rao accused Congress leaders of harbouring personal hatred towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi .

Rao clarified that Prime Minister Modi attended the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Mandir only in his capacity as the country’s Prime Minister and did not perform any religious rituals there. He mocked the Congress party, saying that for it, secularism had become merely a term used for political advantage . He alleged that the criticism was aimed at protecting the party’s vote bank .

He further claimed that Congress leaders had developed personal animosity towards Prime Minister Modi and that their criticism had crossed political boundaries . According to him, viewing the Prime Minister as an enemy and acting out of such hostility was pushing them towards anti-national positions .

What Mani Shankar Aiyar Said

Recently, while speaking at an event held at Kanodia College in Jaipur , Aiyar remarked that the Prime Minister’s participation in the Ram Mandir inauguration was contrary to secularism . Questioning the move, he said: “Is it secularism when the Prime Minister himself inaugurates the temple, sidelining the Shankaracharyas? The Prime Minister of India should not have any religion.”

BJP leaders have strongly condemned Aiyar’s argument that the Prime Minister must maintain religious neutrality . Rao countered that true secularism means respecting all religions , whereas the Congress views secularism only as appeasing a particular section of voters .