The Congress on Wednesday said Sonia Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will not attend the Ram mandir event on January 22.

The party issued a statement ending speculations over its stance on the issue. Terming it an RSS/BJP event, the party said its leaders have respectfully declined the invitation.

“Lord Ram is worshipped by millions in our country. Religion is a personal matter. But the RSS/BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain. While abiding by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and honouring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event,” the statement read.