Chiechama (Nagaland): Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh have made the inauguration of the Ram Temple on January 22 a “political Narendra Modi function”, making it difficult for the Congress to participate in it.Addressing his first press conference during the ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which entered its third day on Tuesday, Gandhi did not answer whether he would visit the Ram Temple during the yatra.“The RSS and the BJP have made the January 22 function a political Narendra Modi function. It has become a RSS-BJP function. That is why Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) said that he won’t go to the function,” he said to reporters in Chiechama, Nagaland.“We are open to all religions and practices. Even the authorities of the Hindu religion have made their view public of what they think of the January 22 function. It is difficult for us to go to a function designed around the prime minister,” he said.Earlier this month, the Congress in a statement announced that party president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party president Sonia Gandhi and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Choudhury will not be attending the grand inauguration ceremony of the Ram Temple presided over by Modi next week, calling it a “BJP-RSS event”.The BJP has since mounted a concerted attack on the Congress and accused the grand old party of being anti-Hindu and “anti-Ram”.Gandhi said that as far as religion is concerned, the party is with all religions.“We are with all religions and we have made it clear to our party members and alliance members that whoever wishes to attend, they can do so,” he said.In a veiled attack on the prime minister, Gandhi added that anyone who actually believes in religion keeps a “personal relationship” with it.“Someone who actually believes in religion keeps a personal relationship with it. He uses religion in his life. Those who keep a public relation with religion, try to take advantage of it. I do not try to take advantage of my religion, I have no interest. I try to live according to the principles of religion. I behave nicely with people, and I respect them. When someone says something to me, I don’t respond with arrogance, I listen to them. I don’t spread hatred. For me, this is the Hindu religion. I follow this in life. But I don’t need to wear it on my sleeve. Those who do not believe in it need to wear it on their sleeve,” he said.Gandhi also said that the ongoing yatra, which is being conducted from Manipur to Maharashtra, will cover 6,700 km and end in Mumbai on March 20 or 21. While it is the biggest mass outreach programme ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi said that the yatra is an “ideological” one.“I see the INDIA alliance as well placed to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The yatra is an ideological one to place many issues on the table which include the huge amount of injustice that has been taking place across the country. It is to present an alternative vision of India,” he said.When asked about seat sharing arrangements yet to be finalised by the INDIA alliance, and alleged disagreements between alliance partners, Gandhi said that the process is ongoing and “not a complex one”.“Status of the INDIA alliance is very good. Seat sharing discussion is going on let’s see where it ends. Discussions are simple and not complex,” he said.The yatra, which will spend another day in Nagaland before moving on to Assam later this week, began in Manipur which has been in the grip of ethnic violence since May 3, 2023.“We started in Manipur because Manipur has faced gross injustice including widespread loss of life and property. For the first time an Indian state is witnessing violence for months and the BJP and PM have not yet visited. It is a sad and shameful affair that the prime minister has not yet visited Manipur,” he said.The Wire has earlier reported that the civil society groups that met Gandhi in Manipur on the first two days of the yatra urged him and the Congress to raise the demand in Parliament to make Modi visit Manipur before the Lok Sabha elections.