"Ham Ram ke pujari hain, vo Ram ke vyapari hain...": Jairam Ramesh hits out at BJP

New Delhi: Asserting that Congress members are worshippers of Lord Ram, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday defended the party's decision to "respectfully decline" the invite for the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya in January this year, saying it was "political" event for "a political person".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had led the rituals at the Pran Pratishtha at the grand Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya.
In an interview with ANI, Jairam Ramesh, who is Congress general secretary, accused the BJP of "politicization of religion" saying it brings down religion and politics as well.
Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said they are "vyapari (traders) of Ram" while Congress members were "pujari (worshippers)" of the deity.
"The January 22 celebration was political. It was done for a political person. We are the worshipers of Ram and they (BJP) are traders of Ram. Interestingly, it is my birthday today. My name is -Jairam Ramesh - both parts of my name have 'Ram'. No one can call us anti-Ram. The politicization of religion brings down religion and politics as well," Jairam Ramesh said.
He was asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks in his Lok Sabha election rally in Chhattisgarh on Monday in which slammed Congress over its decision to decline the invite for the Pran Pratishtha event. PM Modi had also alleged that Congress took action against those who disagreed with the party's stance.
The Congress had issued a statement in January declining the invitation to its senior leaders to attend the Pran Pratishtha invitation in Ayodhya, stating it was "clearly an RSS/BJP event".
"While abiding by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and honouring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event," the party had said in a statement.
The Pran Pratishtha ceremony was held on January 22 this year.
Addressing a public meeting in Bastar in Chhattisgarh on Monday, PM Modi said the dream of having a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya has been fulfilled.
"Ram Navami is not far away. This time, Ram Lalla will give his blessings from the grand temple and not just from a tent. This dream was fulfilled after 500 years, so it's obvious that Lord Ram's 'nanihaal' (home of maternal grandmother) Chhattisgarh will be the happiest," he said.