Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday opened a Ram temple at Mahadevapura in the city. Along with the temple, a 33-foot Hanuman idol was unveiled by the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister said: “The Sitarama Lakshmana temple built by the Hirandahalli Srirama Temple Trust will be an important temple in Bengaluru.” He also participated in a Maha Kumbhabhisheka event.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “Lord Rama belongs to everyone, and it is sad the ruling BJP led by Prime Minister Narendr Modi is claiming credit for Hinduism in this country. In my life, I never brought religion into politics, and I am working in a party that believes in secularism.”
Even as more than a dozen States declared a holiday on Monday, the Karnataka government did not. “I am also inaugurating a temple and I think there is no need for any holiday today,” he said.
The Opposition BJP lashed out at the Congress government for not declaring a holiday and sought to label Siddaramaiah-led government as an “anti-Hindu” ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) later, the Chief Minister said, “Mahatma Gandhi sang Raghupathi Raghava bhajan and died saying Hey Ram. Congress worships the Rama that Mahatma Gandhi talked about, not what BJP projects.”
He further said, “I have learnt the value of keeping promises from Rama, social equality from Bhima [B.R. Ambedkar] and walking the talk from Basava.”
Former Minister Aravind Limbavalli, Ministers Eshwar Khandre and Byrathi Suresh were among the leaders present.
