Ayodhya 'endorsements' of Rahul compel BJP to grab credit for Ram Temple

While Mahant Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, wrote to wish RG and BJY success, Das' endorsement of Rahul Gandhi does not amount to a blessing of the Hindutva forces

Contrary to popular perception, Hindutva forces have not endorsed Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY). However, such a public perception prompted Union Home Minister Amit Shah to announce that the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya would be ready on January 1, 2024. Champat Rai, Vice President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and General Secretary of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, claimed a day later that the temple would be ready only on January 14, 2024, Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan, initiating the start of an auspicious period according to the Hindu calendar.

The timing of Shah’s announcement was clearly