I am a Ram bhakt; will organise Ramotsav: K’taka Cong MLA Ansari

Ramanagar, Jan 4 (IANS): Congress MLA Iqbal Ansari stated on Thursday that he was a Ram bhakt and would organise the Ramotsav ceremony in Ramanagar with all devotion.

Speaking to reporters in Channapatna town, Ansari stated, “I am also a devotee of Lord Ram. I worship all gods. From childhood, I have been worshipping all gods. Likewise I also worship Ram.”

“Others might use the issue of Ram mandir for political reasons. We will not use it for political gains. A few are pursuing politics by dividing people,” Ansari stated.

“The Congress party has its own ideology and commitment. It is left to the BJP to use it for Lok Sabha elections. But, we worship Lord Rama like a family deity. The worshipping of Rama might be new to them, but not for us. They are using it politically for the same reason,” he stated, slamming the BJP.

Ansari represents Ramanagar constituency dominated by the Vokkaliga community. He defeated former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy as the Vokkaliga community votes shifted to the Congress from the JD(S) in the backdrop of Dy Chief Minister Shivakumar being projected as the chief ministerial candidate during the Assembly election.