'It Was All Dance And Song...': Rahul Gandhi's Comments On Ram Temple Ceremony Spark Outrage, BJP Reacts Sharply

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday faced strong criticism from Bharatiya Janata Party leaders for his remarks about the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony. He made these comments while speaking on the BJP’s Lok Sabha poll loss in Ayodhya during an election rally in Haryana.

In the purported video that is being circulated on social media platform X, Gandhi is heard criticising the Modi government for turning the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha into a celebrity event.

Gandhi stated, “You know why they (BJP) lost in Ayodhya? They opened a mandir in Ayodhya. You saw Adani, Ambani, and Amitabh Bachchan, but not a single poor farmer was there. This is the reason why they lost.”

He added, “You opened a Ram Mandir. The first thing you did was tell the president (Droupadi Murmu) that, because she is from an adivasi background, she can’t enter the temple.”

The Congress leader further remarked, “Did you see any labourers or farmers? No. It was all dance and song, with the media cheering. This is the reality.”

In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Ram Mandir in the temple city of Ayodhya, which is part of the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency. However, the BJP faced a major setback when the Samajwadi Party’s Awadhesh Prasad, a nine-time MLA and former minister from the Pasi (Scheduled Caste) community, defeated two-time BJP MP Lallu Singh by over 55,000 votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

‘Gandhi’s hatred for Hindus has reached new heights’: Satya Yadav

Several BJP leaders expressed dissatisfaction with Gandhi’s remarks on the social media platform X and accused him of disrespecting the Hindu religion.

BJP leader and Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav, remarked that Gandhi’s hatred for Hindus has reached new heights as he “shamelessly referred to the grand opening of Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as merely a ‘Dance Program.'”

“Dear Rahul Gandhi, countless Hindus have shed their blood and made sacrifices for this sacred moment. Your vile words are a blatant insult to the devotion and sacrifices of thousands of Hindus!,” Yadav said.

‘Can this be said about any other faith,’ asks Shehzad Poonawalla

The party’s national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called Gandhi’s comments “deplorable” and questioned whether he would make similar remarks about other faiths and their sacred occasions.

Poonawalla’s post stated, “After Hindu Hinsak & Devta is not Bhagwan now Rahul Gandhi says Ram Mandir pious Pran Pratishta was “dance event” “naach gaana event” Can this be said about any other faith & their pious occasions? Rahul’s family has opposed Ram ji existence, Ram Mandir , his govt coined Hindu terror & he even labelled Dwarka puja as “natak” now this”

Meanwhile, Vishwa Hindu Pran Pratistha Program Media Incharge Sharad Sharma stated that the Congress leader’s mentality is “deranged”, adding that not only him but also his party has opposed the Ram Mandir.

He added: “The language that they have used has insulted all the religious organisations, saints, the people who were present here from the Army, medical field, film industry… The people who are insulting them, their mentality is being driven by foreigners somewhere and it is unfortunate and sad that Rahul Gandhi used such language. We would say that such people should be punished, the society should punish them.”