The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on January 23 as part of its official tour, during which members are expected to offer prayers at the Ram Temple. The visit is part of a wider review trip that also includes Varanasi. Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is a member of this committee, though it is not yet clear whether he will join the Ayodhya visit.
Parliamentary committees regularly travel to locations connected with their work to review ground realities. According to sources, the Defence Committee will first visit the Army Cantonment in Varanasi as part of its scheduled inspection. Following this, the committee is expected to travel to Ayodhya, where members may visit the Ram Temple.
Ayodhya visit around temple anniversary
Sources indicate that the committee’s Ayodhya visit could take place on January 22 or 23. January 22 marks the anniversary of the Ram Temple consecration ceremony held in 2024, when the idol of Ram Lalla was installed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several prominent personalities.
Rahul Gandhi’s possible participation in the temple visit has drawn political attention. He did not attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony last year, which led to criticism from the BJP and allegations of appeasement politics.
BJP leaders have repeatedly targeted him for not having visited the temple so far. It remains uncertain whether he will accompany the committee to Ayodhya this time.
Giriraj Singh’s remarks on temple visit
Union Minister Giriraj Singh commented on reports of Rahul Gandhi’s possible visit to the Ram Temple, saying he hoped the Congress leader would seek blessings and reflect on his statements made abroad. Speaking to reporters in Patna, Singh said that visiting the temple should be about faith and introspection, not politics.
Earlier, Congress MP from Barabanki, Tanuj Poonia, had also stated that Rahul Gandhi would soon visit the Ram Temple.
In separate remarks, Giriraj Singh launched a sharp attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of protecting illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and attempting to “turn Bengal into Bangladesh.” He alleged that illegal migrants enter the country through West Bengal and obtain documents there.
Mamata Banerjee hits back
Responding strongly, Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of deleting voters’ names from electoral rolls using artificial intelligence. Addressing a press conference in Howrah, she claimed that several deaths had occurred during the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists and held the BJP and ECI responsible.
She also alleged that voters from neighbouring states were being brought in to influence elections in West Bengal
