Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the latter’s remarks that the BJP and the RSS have made the January 22 Ram temple consecration ceremony “a completely political Narendra Modi function”.

Reacting to the Congress leader’s remarks, the minister said that the people of India understand the politics of Rahul Gandhi.

“Rahul Gandhi lives in this ‘la-la’ world, in my opinion…The people of India are wise enough. They understand Rahul Gandhi’s politics…And we will leave it to the people of India to decide what answer they should give to Rahul Gandhi,” Chandrasekhar said at a press conference.

Refering to Sam Pitroda’s remark, the minister said that the Congress leader can think whatever he wants but Ram temple is a deeply felt emotional issue for crores of Indians.

The further stated that Rahul Gandhi thinks the faith of Hindus can be manipulated but that is not the case.

“Rahul Gandhi thinks that our faith can be manipulated by somebody else. He (Rahul Gandhi) wants to believe that he’s free to do that but, that is not the case. Indians are going to make a beeline at some point in their lives to Ram temple in Ayodhya. They (devotees) will do that not because of anything else but just because of the deep faith they have in the God they worship,” the minister added.

His remarks came after Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP and its ideological mentor RSS for making the January 22 consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir a “completely political Narendra Modi function”.

Speaking to reporters at a briefing during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Nagaland’s Kohima, “The RSS and the BJP have made the 22nd January function a completely political Narendra Modi function. It’s a RSS BJP function and I think that is why the Congress President said that he would not go to the function. We are open to all religions, all practices.”

Apparently refering to the objections raised by Shankaracharyas, the Gandhi Scion said that the biggest authorities of Hindu religion have made their views public about the ceremony and that it was difficult for the Congress to go to a political function.