The CPI on Wednesday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks at Ayodhya, saying by equating the pursuit of the Ram Mandir with the struggle for India's independence, he glorified acts that ruptured the secular fabric of India.
Speaking after the bhoomi pujan at the temple site in Ayodhya, Modi drew a parallel between India's independence movement and "centuries" of people's struggle to build the temple, stating that this day signifies those sacrifices and resolve as August 15 does for India's freedom.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks today at the events in Ayodhya are condemnable for the elected leader of a democratic and secular country like India. The Prime Minister has forgotten that he is the leader of the entire nation and not only of those who follow the RSS-BJP ideology," said CPI leader and MP Binoy Viswam in a statement.
Calling the event at Ayodhya a dark day for democracy, he said the decision of the head of the government to lay the foundational stone at a site like Ayodhya is symbolic of the disregard the ruling party has for the constitutional values that shape our nation.
“In his speech, the prime minister has equated the pursuit of the Ram Mandir with the struggle for India's independence. It is distressing that the prime minister has forgotten the numerous people who lost their lives as a result of the communal fallout of this movement and its polarisation of communities in India,” he said in a statement.
CPI general secretary D. Raja said that the ceremony confirmed that the RSS runs the government.
"Today's ceremony and participation of RSS chief has confirmed that RSS runs the government. Also PM Narendra Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath's presence makes one religion the de facto religion of our country putting the secular democratic nature of our Republic in danger," he said.
Viswam further said that Modi should have exercised restraint but instead chose to gain political currency via his remarks and misused the platform to further his own communal agenda.
To invoke the thanks of the entire nation to those who sustained the Ramjanma Bhoomi movement is an attempt to whitewash the ills of the movement. It is another move to create an imagined homogeneity of the Indian people whose strengths lie in their diversity and coexistence. The secular and democratic people of the country reject this attempt by the Prime Minister, he said.
Accusing the government of turning the events in Ayodhya into a politico-religious spectacle with the ruling party using it as an opportunity to further its ideology, the Left MP said that Modi appears to have forgotten that the country has been hit by a pandemic.
He also said that the BJP-RSS combine has benefited from the politicisation of the Ram Mandir movement right from its conception and it is clear that even today they are continuing to extract it for all its political worth.
“Let us not forget that today marks a year since the abrogation of Article 370 and the devastation it continues to cause in the everyday lives of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh," he said.
"In a democratic and secular country such as India, the presence and remarks of the Prime Minister at Ayodhya today must be condemned,” he said.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury condemned the groundbreaking ceremony and alleged that it provided retrospective legitimisation for the destruction of the Babri Masjid.
In a series of tweets, Yechury said that the Supreme Court verdict described the demolition of the mosque as an "egregious violation of law" and called for punishment of those who committed this act.
“The construction has begun before any such punishment. It is also a violation of the Supreme Court verdict that directed the temple construction to be undertaken by a Trust," he said.
Indian Constitution guarantees and our law protects the choice of faith of each citizen. The government must protect the choice of all citizens. State has no religion, he said.
He also questioned why national broadcaster Doordarshan televised the event globally.
The event as televised is a clear violation of the COVID-19 protocol stipulated by the Union Home Ministry prohibiting religious gatherings. The Indian Constitution guarantees and our law protects the choice of faith of each citizen. The government must protect the choice of all citizens. State has no religion, he said.
“This 'bhumi pujan' provided retrospective legitimisation for the destruction of the Babri Masjid. The SC verdict described this as an 'egregious violation of law' and called for punishment of those who committed this act. The construction has begun before any such punishment," he said.
This 'bhumi pujan' function is a naked exploitation of people's religious sentiments for partisan, political purposes and brazenly violates the letter and spirit of the Indian Constitution, he said.