00:00Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
00:07That pretty much sums up the opposition's dilemma about whether or not to accept the
00:10Ram Temple inauguration invitation on the 22nd of January.
00:15In the end, the India Alliance decided to stay away, and that's probably the wise thing
00:19to do because the event is clearly a political one for the BJP ahead of the general election.
00:25But it's also a risky strategy, because to be called or to be perceived as anti-Hindu
00:30in today's India is something that could politically backfire.
00:34And that's why you see that opposition parties are really walking a tightrope on this one.
00:38So the Congress, for instance, even though it has officially decided to stay away, many
00:42of its leaders are going to go in their individual capacity.
00:47There are state units, for example, in Madhya Pradesh that are doing their own events in
00:51the run-up to the Ram Temple inauguration, like a bike rally to Ayodhya, amongst other
00:56things.
00:57And then you have other opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee or like Uddhav Thackeray,
01:01who have already announced that they'll be going to different temples on that day.
01:05Mamata Banerjee is also doing a multi-faith procession.
01:07Arvind Kejriwal has said that he's going to go to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya after the
01:1322nd ceremony is over and go with his family.
01:17So there is this tightrope and this dilemma that opposition leaders are facing at the
01:22moment.
01:23But when it comes to the issue of Hindutva, of Hindu nationalism, it's clear that this
01:28is an issue that is a big advantage for the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
01:33It will be interesting to see how the opposition is able to spin it to voters.
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