Kashmir's political parties prefer silence over Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha

Mainstream political parties including the National Conference, the PDP, Congress, Apni Party and People's Conference which have been vocal in targeting the BJP led Centre especially after the abrogation of Article 370, were conspicuous with their silence on the Ram Mandir event with the Congress terming the consecration a "religious event", reports ETV Bharat's Mir Farhat.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): As Ram Mandir 'Pran Pratishtha' happened at a grand event in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, political parties in Kashmir preferred silence over the event, with main opposition Congress terming it a “religious issue". National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party who have been main opponents of the politics of the Narendra Modi led government preferred silence on the major development.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who criticises, by her cryptic tweets or media bytes, the Centre government at the drop of a hat, didn't utter a word on January 22 or thereafter. Mehbooba Mufti has been guarded in her criticism of the BJP government since January 7 when former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Beig rejoined the party on the eight death anniversary of her father and PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

On that day, Mehbooba even skipped to mention abrogation of Article 370 which has been her signature remark since its abrogation on August 5, 2019. Congress president of Jammu and Kashmir unit Viqar Rasool told ETV Bharat that Ram Mandir consecration was "a religious matter" and party high command in New Delhi will speak on it. Former Chief Minister and NC President, Farooq Abdullah, who was in Mumbai for a public event said that "nobody is the custodian of Ram".

"Is Lord Ram residing only in one temple? Doesn't Ram have any other home (temple)? Are other Ram temples useless then? Ram is omnipresent. He is also there where there is no Ram temple. He is the Ram of the entire universe," Farooq told reporters. Back in the valley, party spokespersons didn't issue any statement about the development, which they usually do on a daily basis.

Apni Party of Altaf Bukhari and People's Conference led by Sajad Lone also maintained silence on the consecration of Ram temple. The two parties have been accused by NC and PDP of being “B-teams of BJP”. The consecration of Ram temple was held on Monday at Ayodhya in UP, with the prime minister leading the rituals.

The ritual was held at a grand event with 8000 special invitees, dignitaries, Bollywood celebrities and athletes attending the event. Following the Supreme Court decision in 2019 on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, the Ram temple was built at the site of Babri Masjid which was demolished by kar sevaks in 1992 after BJP leader L K Advani led Rath Yatra from Gujarat to Ayodhya.

The Hindu litigants argued that the Babri Mosque was constructed at the site of a temple marking the birthplace of Lord Ram.