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“The Shilanyas (laying of first stone) was conducted during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure,” Sharad Pawar said.

Pune:

‘Shilanyas’, a key ceremony for the Ram temple at Ayodhya was conducted when Rajiv Gandhi was the country’s Prime Minister and the BJP and RSS are doing politics on the issue now, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said today.

The veteran leader was speaking at a public meeting at Nipani in Karnataka.

A consecration ceremony would be performed at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

“The Shilanyas (laying of first stone) was conducted during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure, but today the BJP and RSS are doing politics in the name of Lord Ram,” Mr Pawar said.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertaking an 11-day fast ahead of the consecration ceremony, Mr Pawar said, “I respect his faith in Ram, but had he decided to observe a fast to eliminate poverty, people would have appreciated it.”
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)