New MP Cong chief Jitu Patwari follows in Kamal Nath’s soft Hindutva footsteps

Bhopal, Jan 21 (IANS) At a time when euphoria over Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram in Ayodhya is high and Madhya Pradesh BJP leadership is making all efforts to create a festive atmosphere out of it, the opposition Congress is also playing on the pro-Hindutva pitch in the state.

The new state Congress President Jitu Patwari is also following the path of his predecessor Kamal Nath as far as Hindutva ideology is concerned only to impress the majority community.

His pro-Hindutva antics are also an attempt to counter BJP’s allegation of presenting the grand-old party and its leaders as anti-Hindutva.

On Saturday, Patwari along with the Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar and several other party workers visited Ram Raja temple in Orcha in Tikamgarh district located in Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh.

After offering prayers, the Congress leaders sat there and recited Hanuman Chalisa.

Former Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath had led the party with pro-Hindutva ideology and even organised Hanuman Chalisa at party offices across the state to win the sentiments of the people ahead of the assembly election held in November 2023. However, Congress witnessed a massive defeat and was reduced to just 66 seats against its tally of 114 in 2018.

Interestingly, on the day when Congress leadership termed the January 22 event as a BJP-RSS event, Kamal Nath and his son Nakul Nath said they will send papers with name of Lord Ram written over them with 4.31 crore times, from their constituency to Ayodhya for the ceremony.

The Ram Temple construction and its Pran Pratishta ceremony has been a politically sensitive issue in Madhya Pradesh and many in the Congress have been trying to tread a cautious path.

The new state Congress President Patwari had earlier said that he will take one lakh Congress workers to Ayodhya once the construction of Ram Temple gets completed. Patwari is leaving no opportunity for the BJP to level him as an anti-Hindutva leader.

Notably, the Ram Raja Temple in Orchha, which was built in 16th century by the King of Orchha Madhukar Shah Ju Dev, is said to be the only temple in the country where Lord Ram is worshiped as a king.

At the temple in Orchha, the process of guard of honour is held every day. Police personnel have been designated as guards at the temple, much in the manner of a king.

There is story related to the Ram Raja and his birth place in Ayodhya. It is believed that Orchha’s queen Ganesh Kunwari (wife of Madhukar Shah Ju Dev), who was great devotee of Lord Ram, had once visited Ayodhya and was praying at Laxman Fort near Sarayu river; just then something happened and she felt the child form of Lord Ram in her lap and she brought him to Orchha.

The grand ceremony of Pran Pratishtha will be held on January 22 in Ayodhya which will be witnessed by people across the world through various social media platforms.

–IANS

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