New Delhi, March 11 – Congress leaders on Wednesday responded to criticism from Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who accused senior Congress leaders of not visiting the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and politicizing religion.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari criticized the chief minister, stating that Congress leaders do visit the temple but do not publicize their visits. “Congress leaders don't go there with cameras. I have been there three or four times,” he said. Tiwari also urged the Madhya Pradesh government to focus on governance rather than political statements.
“I have a request for Mohan Yadav: Please look into the law and order situation in your state. You should be ashamed. A 90-year-old woman is being gang-raped in your state, and you are making such statements,” he added.
Reacting to Yadav's remarks, Congress leader Surendra Rajput said that visiting a temple is a personal matter and cannot be dictated by political opponents. “Will we visit the temple only after asking you, Mohan Yadav? We do not do vote bank politics in the name of Sanatan Dharma as you do,” Rajput said.
The remarks came after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday accused top Congress leaders of not visiting the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya, claiming they were hesitant to do so.
Yadav made the statement while addressing a workshop in Indore, organized as part of the BJP’s ‘Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Training Maha Abhiyan 2026’.
Yadav said that BJP workers are trained not only in political communication but also understand the importance of nationalism and development. He alleged that senior Congress leaders have still not visited the Ram Temple and accused the party of opposing its construction in the past.
The chief minister claimed that the Congress had repeatedly obstructed the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya over the years and suggested that its leaders were now reluctant to visit the shrine. Calling it the “true character” of the Congress, Yadav said this reflects the fundamental difference between the BJP and the Congress.