Siddaramaiah had to offer a clarification after a Congress minister termed the Ram Mandir consecration event a ‘gimmick’. And this isn’t the first time he has been mired in a controversy linked to Lord Ram and the Ayodhya temple
The new year began with a new controversy for the Congress in Karnataka. As the debate surrounding why Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has not been invited for the consecration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22 continues, a former Congress minister has drawn a comparison between the CM and Lord Ram.
Senior Congress leader Holalkere Anjaneya on Monday, while questioning the BJP about the invitation, went a step further and remarked, “Why should anyone go to Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir just to worship Ram? That is BJP’s Ram. Siddaramaiah himself is Ram. He is in our hearts.”
‘SIDDARAMAIAH AND RAM IN OUR HEARTS’
Adding another dimension to his statement, Anjaneya, the former minister, highlighted, “Ram is in our hearts (just like Siddaramaiah), and my name is Anjaneya (another name for Hanuman), and you know what Anjaneya did?,” referring to how Lord Hanuman tore his chest open to display Ram and Sita’s image within.
Anjaneya’s comment has sparked another debate, following one fueled by Karnataka’s Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar. The minister’s remarks took CM Siddaramaiah by surprise and forced him to make a statement, emphasising that “We are in favour of Ram Mandir” to mitigate the impact on his government’s image.
AYODHYA TEMPLE EVENT GIMMICK LIKE PULWAMA: K’TAKA MINISTER
Sudhakar, on Sunday, claimed that the timing of the inauguration of the Ayodhya temple was a political stunt just before the Lok Sabha polls. He alleged that the BJP engages in such “gimmicks” before a Lok Sabha election, citing the Pulwama attack and the surgical strike as situations allegedly created to aid the saffron party win polls.
“The BJP is playing on the sentiments of the people of this country, who are very religious as well,” Sudhakar added, expressing hope that the people will vote “responsibly” this time. The minister is part of Siddaramaiah’s cabinet, formed after the Congress came to power with a significant majority in May 2023.
“People are not fools. We have been fooled twice. I am confident that we won’t be fooled for the third time,” the Karnataka minister said. He also mentioned his previous contribution of money and bricks for the temple construction.
“Now, it is Ram Mandir and Ram’s photo that the saffron party is trying to exploit. People are not fools. They have realised the stunts played by the BJP after the Pulwama attack. They will not be fooled every time,” Sudhakar stated, adding that he too had earlier contributed money and bricks for the construction of the temple.
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RAM TEMPLE IS GOOD NEWS: SIDDARAMAIAH
A few hours later, Siddaramaiah was forced to state to manage the burning controversy after the BJP attacked the ruling Congress on the issue. He called the Ayodhya temple “good news” and asserted that he too was a “Ramanjaneya Bhakta” (devotee of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman) and never opposed the building of the Ayodhya temple.
“We are not against the issue of Ayodhya Ram Mandir, nor are we against building a temple either. We are in favour of Ram Mandir…” the CM said.
This is not the first time that Siddaramaiah has resorted to emphasising that he has “Ram” in his name to defend a controversial statement or his government.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
In 2021, during a session in the Karnataka legislative assembly, BJP leaders began impromptu sloganeering of “Jai Shri Ram” during a discussion on the fuel price rise. The Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government was in power at the time, and Siddaramaiah was the leader of the opposition. Siddaramaiah was quoting a post on social media site X (previously Twitter) by Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy on the prices of fuel.
“The price of petrol in Ram’s India was Rs 93, whereas it was Rs 51 in Sita’s Nepal and Rs 53 in Ravana’s Lanka. These aren’t my words. They’re the words of Swamy, who is a BJP leader and a Rajya Sabha member,” said Siddaramaiah when he was met with BJP MLAs chanting “Jai Shri Ram” in the house.
A miffed Siddaramaiah asked, “Why are you chanting? Is it because a litre of petrol has touched Rs 100? I am also a devotee of Lord Rama. I have Rama in my name. My name is Sidda-Rama-iah.”
In 2017, while launching the BJP’s election campaign, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath made a scathing attack on the then-ruling Congress, also led by Siddaramaiah, for worshipping Tipu Sultan instead of Ram bhakta Hanuman. Yogi had said that “no one worshipping Tipu Sultan will remain in Karnataka”, while accusing Siddaramaiah of supporting beef eaters.
Quick to respond, Siddaramaiah attacked Yogi, asking him not to give him lessons in administration, focus on governing UP, and not question his “Hindu roots”.
“I am the son of the soil. No person from outside Karnataka can preach to me about our culture and heritage. I am also Hindu, and I have Rama in my name. BJP people should refrain from calling me anti-Hindu,” he reacted, emphasising that Karnataka celebrated the jayantis of 26 saints and leaders. It was a state that celebrated Hanuman Jayanti as well as Tipu Jayanti, he said.
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DEFINING RAM RAJYA
Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party, in the same year (2017) while presenting his budget speech, Siddaramaiah made it a point to begin with a definition of “Ram Rajya”.
He underlined the fact that Ram Rajya was a concept that could not be built by those who opposed social justice. He added that Ram Rajya represented a hunger-free, exploitation-free society where there was overall development, with deep-rooted harmony.
“Be it inspiration behind the Constitution drafted by Ambedkar, the life of Gandhiji saying ‘my life is my message’ or Basavanna’s ideals, all say the same,” Siddaramaiah said in his budget speech.
During an earlier interview with this reporter, Siddaramaiah spoke of how he had helped build a Ram temple in his native village Siddaramanahundi near Mysuru. He had then accused the BJP of manipulating the Ram temple issue for political gain and also questioned the fund collection process and utilisation, particularly since it involves public funds.
Though the temple is said to have been built with the contributions of the villagers, locals say that Siddaramaiah contributed significantly to its building, including donating silver articles, including a mace and face cover, for the idol at Siddarameshwara temple—his family deity.
“I am named after Siddarameshwara, our village deity. My elder brother is named Rame Gowda, also after Ram. I have Ram in my name. But I don’t politicise it,” he had told this reporter in a 2018 interview.
