PRESIDENT DROUPADI MURMU WAS INVITED: TEMPLE TRUST CHIEF TRASHES RAHUL CLAIM

NEW DELHI: General secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Champat Rai on Tuesday rebutted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that President Droupadi Murmu was not invited to the consecration of Ram Lalla’s idol at the Ayodhya temple as she is a tribal.

Referring to Rahul’s allegation reported in this daily from Gandhinagar, Rai said they are “completely false, baseless and misleading”.

“I would like to remind Shri Rahul Gandhi-ji that the great President of India, Honourable Droupadi Murmu-ji and former President Shri Ramnath Kovind ji were both invited on the auspicious occasion of the consecration of the new idol of Ram Lalla in Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple,” he said.

“On the occasion of pranpratistha at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, saints, great men belonging to SC, ST and OBC communities, householders and gentlemen who have achieved fame in different spheres of life and made India proud, were invited. The workers serving in the temple participated in the programme,” he added. “Not only this, at the time of pranpratishtha puja, people belonging to scheduled castes, tribes and extremely backward classes got the opportunity to worship in the pavilion of the temple,” Rai said.

He said Rahul ’s baseless charge about the event that took place three months ago could create divisions in the society. “These parts of the speech are seriously objectionable for us,” he added.