The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday accused the Congress of indulging in cheap election gimmicks by raising Ram temple issue and asked its party president Rahul Gandhi to clear his stand on the matter.
Speaking to the media after a statement from Congress General Secretary Harish Rawat that the Congress will launch sincere efforts to build a grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya if it comes to power in the Lok Sabha elections, AAP National Spokesperson and South Delhi Lok Sabha in-charge Raghav Chadha asked the Congress "if it is nothing but BJP Team B now".
"In India, we believe in the rule of law and the decision of the Supreme Court as sacrosanct. The AAP strongly condemns the usage of this issue for short term political gains," Chadha said.
The party demanded a clarification from the Congress on the statements made by Rawat.
"The AAP also questions the validity of such statements when the issue is still in the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The statement raises doubts on the justice delivery mechanisms of the premier court of India."
Chadha called it an insult to the judicial system and said the statement can be viewed as contempt of court and obstruction in the due process of law.
"Moreover it is a careless remark on an issue so sensitive that the court itself is treading with utmost care."
He said the Congress is following the footsteps of the BJP in using the issue as an election agenda.
"Further, if such a view is not just an election agenda, why did the Congress not construct a temple when it was in power for a decade? What is the utility of making such statements just a few months before elections? Taking their political cues from the BJP, the Congress too seems to be trivialising the Ram Mandir issue for short term political gain," he said.
--IANS
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