Thiruvananthapuram:
Congress chief Shashi Tharoor backed Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday concerning his remarks concerning the Karnataka authorities celebrating the consecration of the Ram temple at Ayodhya throughout the state.
Reacting to a question on DK Shivakumar’s assertion on Monday, wherein he defended his authorities’s determination to have fun the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22, saying “ultimately we are all Hindus,” Shashi Tharoor stated the Karnataka chief additionally expressed his respect for all religions.
Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of a operate right here, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) member stated, “We respect everyone’s right to worship as you see fit, and that remains the Congress position.” He stated the Congress get together as such was not invited to the consecration ceremony however solely three particular person leaders of the get together got non-transferable invites.
“They have announced that the invitations are for the named individuals only. And therefore it is not a party invitation. So it is for the named individuals to make a decision (on whether to participate in the function or not). Let us leave them the right to make their own decisions,” Shashi Tharoor stated.
He stated the Congress get together was very vital of what had occurred to the Babri Masjid, and he had personally written in opposition to it, which occurred 25 years in the past.
“But once the Supreme Court took a decision, and the Supreme Court ruled on the matter, we said that was the end of the debate. There is no point now rehashing the past. The courts have taken a decision. Of course, a beautiful Masjid must also be built to compensate the worshipers of the Muslim community and the beautiful temple has also been built,” Shashi Tharoor stated.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP stated he doesn’t see the necessity to take part in a ‘political operate’, as goes to the temples to wish and to not do politics.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former get together chief Sonia Gandhi and the get together’s chief within the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have acquired invites for the consecration ceremony.
Shashi Tharoor stated he would contest in Thiruvananthapuram if the get together requested him to take action.
“I’m very grateful to have had the trust of the people of Thiruvananthapuram for three terms already. And it is up to the party to decide whether they’d like to ask me to do it once more. If so, I will certainly come back. I mean, I’m already here most of the time, but I will. I will be amongst the people and seek their confidence,” he stated.
Referring to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the CWC member stated it will be a battle for the soul of India. The election would determine what kind of India we needed to create for future generations, he added.
“Is it going to be in India where we focus on what unites us, where we see the common humanity in all of us, where we don’t allow ourselves to be divided by religion, by caste, by community, by language, and so on? Or is it going to be a divided India built on fear and intimidation by the government? If it is the latter, India, then many of us will feel deeply deeply that the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and all those who accompanied them in the freedom struggle are being betrayed,” Shashi Tharoor stated.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)