Congress rejects Ayodhya Ram Mandir ‘Pran Pratistha’ invite. Will grand old party's gamble pay off in Lok Sabha polls?

livemint.com:

Pran Prathista’ ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22, months before the country heads to the polls. In a statement, the Congress said that its senior leaders would not be attending the inauguration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. “Lord Ram is worshipped by millions in our country" and “religion is a personal matter", read the party statement.

The Congress described the inauguration of an “incomplete" temple as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ploy for electoral gain. However, the Congress has never been ballistic on the Ayodhya issue. Rather, the party's notion of Ram Janmabhoomi agitation and subsequent breaking down of Babri Masjid remained one of vacillations.

It was reported that the late Rajiv Gandhi was not in the know when Babri Masjid's locks were opened. However, it was Rajiv Gandhi, the then prime minister, who permitted the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) to perform the ‘shilanyas’ (foundation stone-laying ceremony) at the disputed site. Even though the Congress has distanced itself from the current Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir consecration ceremony, in 1991, the Congress promised to be in favour of the Ram Mandir.

In 1992 the Babri Masjid came down under the watch of a Congress government at the Centre. Etymologically, the acceptance and rejection of the Ram Mandir has seemingly been a vote-based choice for the grand old party. Notably, the Congress has always been termed a minority-appeasing party.

However, for the BJP, the Ram Janmabhoomi issue and appeasement of the Hindus have remained the bait. In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Hindu side in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit case. This was also welcomed by the Congress.