'Have not visited Ram Temple, nor will I ever go': TMC's Kirti Azad targets BJP

NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad on Sunday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its repeated references to the Ram Temple, accusing the party of using religious sentiments for political gains. He said he had visited the Kamakhya Temple but had never visited the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and had no intention of doing so in the future. His remarks come amid a political row over Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav 's proposed visit to the Ram Mandir and Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya on December 12. The proposed visit has drawn criticism from the BJP, which has termed it a political exercise ahead of the elections and accused Yadav of seeking electoral mileage through visits to prominent religious sites. Speaking to news agency IANS, Azad questioned why the BJP repeatedly invoked the Ram Temple and accused the party of misusing temple donations. "I do not understand why this Bharatiya Janata Party, which is involved in extortion and stealing donations, keeps talking about the Ram Temple. I have not visited the Ram Temple; I have visited the Kamakhya Temple. Are they suggesting that a person is not a Hindu if they worship Goddess Kamakhya? I worship Goddess Kamakhya, but I have not visited the Ram Temple," he said. Referring to Goddess Sita's birthplace and the episode of her Agni Pariksha, Azad questioned the circumstances surrounding her subsequent abandonment. "I belong to the birthplace of Mata Sita. Mata Sita had to undergo the Agni Pariksha, and even after passing it, she was abandoned. Is it right for any human being to treat his wife this way -- to make her undergo the Agni Pariksha and then abandon her even after she passes it? This is not right. I visit Kamakhya Temple and Tripura Sundari Temple. Does that mean I am not a Hindu?" the TMC MP said. Reiterating his stand, Azad told IANS, "I have not gone to Ram Temple, nor will I ever go. I'll go to Mathura." He further accused the BJP of exploiting religious sentiments for political purposes and said the party had failed to establish the ideals of Ram Rajya in the country. "They are doing this for politics and are orchestrating robberies and thefts at every temple. They do not have any other issue than Ram. The BJP has not brought Ram Rajya but Ravan Rajya in the country," he added.