The political confrontation between the ruling Congress and the BJP in Himachal Pradesh escalated on Wednesday as Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh and state BJP president Rajeev Bindal exchanged sharp remarks over the definition of a 'true Sanatani' and the Ram Mandir issue.
Responding to Bindal's earlier criticism of Congress leaders visiting the Ram Temple in Shimla, Vikramaditya questioned the BJP leader's right to issue certificates of faith. 'I respect him as my senior and as the BJP president, but he should refrain from making such objectionable statements. He is nobody to issue certificates on who is a true Sanatani,' said the minister.
Vikramaditya challenges Bindal's Himachali identity
The minister further attacked Bindal's roots, stating that his own family had lived in Himachal for 122 generations and had always followed Sanatan Dharma and worshipped Lord Ram. 'The Congress does not need a certificate from Bindal, who is not even a bona fide Himachali and lived in Haryana earlier,' Vikramaditya had said the previous day.
He also rejected allegations by former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur that the Congress was anti-Hindu, asserting that anyone was free to visit a temple without seeking BJP approval. He reiterated the Congress demand for a fair and impartial probe into the alleged Ram Temple fund scam.
Bindal hits back
Retaliating, Bindal said he had been serving the people of Himachal for the past 35 years and did not require any certificate from Vikramaditya. He accused the Congress of opposing the construction of the Ram Temple for politics of appeasement and said the party's anti-Hindu stance was well known.
Bindal also cited the Congress's poor performance in the recent urban local body and panchayat elections and questioned why the government had failed to fulfil its 2022 Assembly poll guarantees after more than three years in office.
The exchange has further intensified the political slugfest between the ruling Congress and the BJP over the Ram Mandir issue, with both sides unwilling to back down.
