BENGALURU: Chants of Jai Shri Ram echoed in the hallowed Assembly Hall on Tuesday. But this time, quite surprisingly, it was from the opposition Congress party and not the ruling BJP. Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, who was speaking on increasing prices of essential commodities across the country, pointed out that even BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy has tweeted, “Petrol price Rs 93 in Ram’s India, Rs 53 in Sita’s Nepal, Rs 51 in Ravan’s Lanka.” With this cue, Congress members started chanting Jai Shri Ram repeatedly.
Ram Mandir not BJP’s property alone: Cong
An irritated Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “I am happy that at least now you (Congress members) are chanting Jai Shri Ram!” Congress members thereafter created a ruckus and went on to say that the Ram Temple at Ayodhya is not the sole property of BJP. Siddaramaiah said, “You (BJP members) don’t have a contract over Lord Rama. I am also a Ram Bhakta. Ram is in the middle of my name.”
On a lighter note, Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri asked Siddaramaiah how much he contributed to Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir. The opposition leader replied, “Lord Rama is everywhere. Why should I donate to Ayodhya’s Rama. At my village Siddramanahundi, a Ram Mandir is being constructed and I have contributed to that temple.”
His son, Dr Yathindra Siddaramiah, who is the MLA from Varuna constituency, said they offer puja to Lord Rama at home, but don’t indulge in politics over it, like BJP. Revenue Minister R Ashoka intervened and said, “At least in this discussion, Congress has chanted Rama Japa. I am happy for that.”