Chitradurga (Karnataka) : In a surprising turn of events, Senior Congress leader H. Anjaneya sparked controversy on Monday by proclaiming that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is regarded as “Lord Ram for us.” The statement came in response to inquiries about Siddaramaiah allegedly not receiving an invitation to the inauguration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Anjaneya, a former minister and a close confidant of Siddaramaiah, justified the omission from the Ayodhya event, stating, “Not inviting him to the inauguration ceremony in Ayodhya is a good development. CM Siddaramaiah himself is Lord Ram. Why should he worship Ram in Ayodhya?” He further informed reporters that Siddaramaiah plans to worship Lord Ram in the temple at his native village Siddaramanahundi, emphasizing, “In Ayodhya, there is BJP’s Lord Ram. They have invited their men to recite bhajans. I am Anjaneya (a name given to Lord Hanuman), we are all devotees of Lord Ram.”
Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Anjaneya, who belongs to the Dalit community, accused the party of adopting a divide-and-rule policy between religions. He expressed, “People from our community name themselves as Ram, Hanuman. These gods hail from our communities. BJP adopts a divide-and-rule policy between religions. They have an illusion of getting votes by giving statements against a religion.” Asserting the commonality of Hindu identity, he remarked, “We are all Hindus. BJP does not own the Hindu religion. Have they given a solution for discrimination and exploitation?”
Anjaneya urged a shift in focus from temple construction to addressing societal issues, stating, “The construction of temples should stop, and the focus must be on building houses and healthy mindsets. People are living in deplorable conditions. Build houses for them and name them Ram Mandirs. Lord Ram will bless you. Lord Ram should not be used for votes.”
The controversial remarks have ignited a debate over the intertwining of religion and politics, with Anjaneya’s words drawing both support and criticism from various quarters. Siddaramaiah’s office has not yet issued a statement on the matter.
