On shankaracharya's criticism of Mandir event, Cong's 'why in hurry' query to PM

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party over the reported refusal of four shankaracharyas to attend the Ram Temple event on January 22, saying the party is inaugurating the under-construction place of worship because of the upcoming general elections. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain," the party said in a statement. On Wednesday, Uttarakhand’s Jyotir Mutt head, shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati announced that four prominent shankaracharyas will not attend the event. Several Opposition leaders have refused to attend the Ayodhya event, including CPI general secretary Sitaram Yechury and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.