The Congress on Wednesday announced that party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have "respectfully declined" the Ram temple consecration invite, alleging that it has been made into a "political project" by the BJP and the RSS for "electoral gain".

While declining the Ram temple consecration invite, in a statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh questioned the motive behind the inauguration of the "incomplete" temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS.