Will go to Ram temple one day: Laxmi Hebbalkar

Udupi: The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya belongs to 140 crore Indians and all devotees of Lord Ram can visit the temple, Karnataka Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar said on Wednesday.

Addressing reporters at Udupi, the minister said she had huge faith in Lord Ram and will go to the temple one day, adding, that she has even made donations for the shrine.

She declined to comment on the party’s stance on the Ayodhya issue. “I am a devotee of the deity and celebrate our culture and faith and will go to Ayodhya one day,” she said.

Hebbalkar, who is also the Udupi district-in-charge minister, said she will participate in the Paryaya festival at Sri Krishna mutt in Udupi on Thursday, for the first time along with her family.

The state government has responded positively to all requests for the conduct of the festival and the Chief Minister has already released Rs 10 crore for the Paryaya, she said.

The minister said the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister will not be attending the Paryaya due to their preoccupations.

State Home Minister G Parameshwar will take part in the event.

To a question, Hebbalkar said the Congress will win the highest number of seats in the state in the coming Lok Sabha elections. The 25 MPs of BJP in the state have done nothing to solve the problems of the people during the last five years, she alleged.