Ayodhya, March 26 (IANS) Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh arrived in Ayodhya on Thursday to offer prayers at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, asserting that he had never opposed the construction and had instead donated to the temple trust.

He reached Maharshi Valmiki International Airport earlier in the day and spoke to reporters upon arrival.

“On the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, I extend my best wishes to everyone. May Lord Ram’s blessings be upon all. I will also visit Hanumangarhi and Ramlala to offer prayers,” Singh said.

The Congress party has never come out in support of the Ram Temple construction, and it had also decided to decline the invitation to the January 2024 consecration ceremony, which it had described as a “political project” driven by electoral considerations.

The party had also maintained that the temple was incomplete at the time and that the event had taken on a partisan character rather than remaining purely religious.

Responding to questions on this issue, Singh clarified his personal position, stating, “I never opposed it; that is incorrect… I had contributed through donations. I had donated Rs 1,10,000 for the temple… I am not here for politics.”

The visit has triggered a fresh round of political exchanges between the BJP and the Congress party, with leaders from both sides engaging in sharp remarks over the timing and intent of the trip.

The BJP has criticised Singh, stating that the Congress leadership had been invited to the Ram Temple consecration ceremony earlier, but he had chosen not to attend.

BJP MLA from Bhopal Rameshwar Sharma, who often targets Digvijaya Singh on Lord Ram, took a jibe at the former CM. ​

“I would request him during his visit to the Ram temple to please pay homage to the martyrs who faced bullets in 1992,” he had said, adding that had the country’s political leadership grasped this reality sooner, the Ram Temple in Ayodhya would have been built many years ago.​

He further said, “As you offer your prayers today to the very Ram Lalla whom your party once dismissed as a mythical figure, acknowledge and accept that Ram Lalla is not a figment of imagination, but a living reality.”

Responding to the criticism, Congress leaders defended Singh’s position and dismissed the remarks as politically motivated. Party spokesperson Jitendra Mishra said that Singh’s faith should not be questioned, noting his contribution towards the temple’s construction.

–IANS

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