How is Ayodhya event happening during ban on religious gatherings, asks CPI(M)

The CPI(M) on Monday found fault with the government taking over the 'bhumi pujan' ceremony for the Ram temple in Ayodhya while questioning how a religious gathering could be allowed when the Centre's guidelines specifically bars religious gatherings due to Covid-19 pandemic.

It also said the taking over of the function by the UP government and the involvement of the Centre through the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not provide "retrospective legitimisation" of the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992, which the Supreme Court had described as a criminal act.

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In a statement, the party's Polit Bureau said it has always maintained that the Ayodhya dispute must be resolved either through a mutually acceptable negotiated settlement or through a court verdict.

It said the Supreme Court had allowed the construction of the temple and said it should be undertaken by a Trust. "The takeover of the bhumi pujan ceremony at Ayodhya by the UP administration along with the Central government involvement at the highest level of the Prime Minister goes against both the Supreme Court verdict and the letter and spirit of the Constitution of India," it said.

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The party also noted that the Supreme Court verdict had condemned the demolition of the Babri Masjid describing it as a criminal act. However, it said, "far from punishing those guilty, the involvement of the Central/state governments must not provide retrospective legitimisation for this destruction."

The CPI(M) also referred to the pandemic raging across the country and said the preventive protocol stipulated by the Ministry of Home Affairs bans religious gatherings.

"Reports of priests and policemen deployed in Ayodhya testing Covid positive only highlights the risks to human lives. We appeal to the people of India to uphold the Constitutional principles of secularism and justice, strictly adhere to the pandemic preventive protocol precautions and not permit the people’s religious sentiments to be exploited for partisan political purposes," it said.