Lok Sabha Elections 2024: President Murmu wasn't invited to Ram Mandir event due to her caste, says Malikarjun Kharge

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Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday that President Droupadi Murmu was not invited to the Pran Pratishtha programme at Ayodhya and the inaugural function of Parliament due to her caste. Former President Ram Nath Kovind, Kharge said, was also not invited to the two events by the due to the same reason. “PM Modiji says though we invited leaders from the Congress party to Ayodhya they never turned up.

They are showing disrespect to God. But why have you not invited our President? You have not invited the first citizen of the country even to the inaugural function of the Parliament," Kharge said addressing a rally in Bengaluru Rural. The ‘Pran Pratishtha’, or the consecration, of the Ram Mandir was held at Ayodhya on January 22, 2024.

A congress party press communiqué quoted Kharge giving these remarks during the public meeting in Bengaluru Rural on Monday. Also Read: Congress files 16 complaints with EC against BJP amid Lok Sabha polls 2024: 'PM Modi used religion to ask voters...' The temple's construction committee and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had, however, invited President Murmu for the Ram Mandir event. In February, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also said that President Droupadi Murmu is an 'Adivasi' , so she was not invited to the mega event.

"Did you see the Ram Mandir event? It was held with great fanfare. But did you see any Dalit faces? Our President is an Adivasi, so she wasn't allowed to attend the event. Did you see any farmer or labourer during the event? No backward class faces were anywhere seen during the event.

But you must have seen Adani, Ambani and their families. All the businessmen were there. Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Narendra Modi were there," Gandhi said.