'Babar premis will be punished': BJP targets TMC's Kirti Azad over Ram Mandir remarks

“Babar Premis will be punished by people of Uttar Pradesh just like Bengal,” Bhandari wrote. NEW DELHI: BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Wednesday criticised Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kirti Azad over his remarks on Lord Ram and the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, accusing the opposition of engaging in “peak vote bank politics”.In a post on X, Bhandari accused the TMC of insulting Lord Ram and alleged that the Congress-led INDIA bloc was opposed to Sanatan.“Congress lead Opposition hates Sanatan! TMC MP insults Prabhu Shree Ram! By asking their leaders to continue to slander Sanatan Rahul Gandhi, Mamta Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav are practising 'Peak vote bank politics'. He also warned that opposition parties would face punishment in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, similar to the TMC's electoral defeat in West Bengal.“Babar Premis will be punished by people of Uttar Pradesh just like Bengal,” Bhandari wrote.The BJP leader's remarks came after Azad said he would never visit the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, questioning the treatment of Maa Sita by Lord Ram.Speaking to news agency ANI, the TMC MP said he did not consider Lord Ram the only deity worthy of worship and referred to Maa Sita as his mother, saying he belonged to her birthplace, Mithila. “Is Lord Ram the only God among the 3,200 crore deities in our country? I will never go there because Lord Ram abandoned his wife, even after she had passed the Agni Pariksha and sent Maa Sita away from his home,” he said.“Why should I go? I belong to the birthplace of Maa Sita. She was the daughter of Mithila. Maa Sita is my mother. For every person belonging to Mithila, Maa Sita is a mother,” he added.Azad questioned the description of Lord Ram as “Maryada Purushottam” and said he worshipped Maa Kali. He also named temples he visits, including Kamakhya, Dakshina Kali, Kalighat and the Kali Temple at Gol Market in Delhi.“Does that mean I am not a Hindu?” he asked.The row erupted ahead of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's proposed visit to the Ram Mandir in December, ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Pranjal Pandey is a journalist with the editorial desk of The Times of India (Online). He looks at the implications of global events for India, with a particular interest in geopolitics and defence. You can sometimes find him looking at the world map, wondering what’s new.