Cong looks to alter perception

NEW DELHI: The apparent shift in the Congress’s stand on Ayodhya --evidentinitsbidtooutdopolitical rivals in hailing the construction of Ram temple-- is widely attributed to its attempt to change the perception of being a pro-muslim party -- one reason for the party’s poor performance in the 2014 general elections according to a panel ledbyformerdefenceministerak Antony. The panel’s report concluded that fighting polls on the plan of secularism (versus communalism) hurt the Congress because it identified the party as pro-muslims, resulting in substantial gains for the BJP.

The Congress, which has since been trying hard to change the image, maintained , in the run-up to the 2019 elections, that it would port any negotiated settlement. The party was accused of practisingsofthindutvaduringthiscampaign, with then party chief Rahul Gandhi’s temple runs seemingly proving this point.

Still, Congress has never really been vocal in its support for temple construction. Now, barring a few Congress leaders who have expressed reservations, most have struck a conciliatory tone.

In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi called Lord Ram the ultimate embodiment of supreme human values and said he stands for love, mercy andjustice.hedidnotmentionthe bhoomi pujan (ground breaking) ceremony that marked the beginning of the temple construction in Ayodhya on Wednesday.

Rahul Gandhi’s sister and Congressgeneralsecretary,priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Tuesday hoped the groundbreaking ceremony

Innovember,thecongresswelcomed the Supreme Court verdict that paved the way for the temple construction and also sought to take credit for it. It insisted the Congress government at the Centre in 1993 acquired 67-acres of land near the disputed 2.77-acre siteinayodhya.thecongressalso highlighted that it was the Rajiv Gandhi government that allowed ashilanyas(ground-breakingceremony) for the temple at an undisputed site close to Babri Masjid and also opened its doors in 1986.

The Congress’s stand was in line with a view of a section of leaders, especially from North India, that the party should talk openly about the 1986 shilanyas and the acquiring of the land to counter the BJP. The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body, in November passed a reso