CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday condemned the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and alleged that it provided "retrospective legitimisation" for the destruction of the Babri Masjid.
In a series of tweets, Yechury said that the Supreme Court verdict described the demolition of the mosque as an "egregious violation of law" and called for punishment of those who committed this act.
"The construction has begun before any such punishment. It is also a violation of the Supreme Court verdict that directed the temple construction to be undertaken by a Trust," he said.
"Indian Constitution guarantees and our law protects the choice of faith of each citizen. The government must protect the choice of all citizens. State has no religion," he said.
He also questioned why national broadcaster Doordarshan televised the event globally.
"The event as televised is a clear violation of the Covid protocol stipulated by the Union Home Ministry prohibiting religious gatherings. The Indian Constitution guarantees and our law protects the choice of faith of each citizen. The government must protect the choice of all citizens. State has no religion," he said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the bhoomi pujan of a Supreme Court-mandated Ram temple in Ayodhya, bringing to fruition the BJP's 'mandir movement' that defined its politics for three decades and took it to the heights of power.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were among those who attended the event at the site where a large number of devout Hindus believe Lord Ram was born.
The guest list, including religious leaders who formed part of the movement that started in the 1980s, was restricted to 175 in view of the COVID-19 crisis.
"This 'bhumi pujan' provided retrospective legitimisation for the destruction of the Babri Masjid. The SC verdict described this as an 'egregious violation of law' and called for punishment of those who committed this act. The construction has begun before any such punishment," he said.
"This 'bhumi pujan' function is a naked exploitation of people's religious sentiments for partisan, political purposes and brazenly violates the letter and spirit of the Indian Constitution," he said.
The CPI also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks at Ayodhya, saying by equating the pursuit of the Ram Mandir with the struggle for India's independence, he "glorified acts that ruptured the secular fabric of India."
Modi drew a parallel between India's independence movement and "centuries" of people's struggle to build the temple, stating that this day signifies those sacrifices and resolve as August 15 does for India's freedom.
Calling the event at Ayodhya a "dark day for democracy", CPI leader and MP Binoy Viswam said the decision of the head of the government to lay the foundational stone at a site like Ayodhya is "symbolic of the disregard the ruling party has for the constitutional values that shape our nation."
"In his speech, the prime minister has equated the pursuit of the Ram Mandir with the struggle for India's independence. It is distressing that the prime minister has forgotten the numerous people who lost their lives as a result of the communal fallout of this movement and its polarisation of communities in India," he said in a statement.
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