A recent debate has emerged involving Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Veerappa Moily and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s spiritual observance. Moily raised skepticism regarding PM Modi’s 11-day fast during the pran pratishtha ceremony of the Ayodhya Ram Temple, citing a conversation with a doctor who claimed survivability on only coconut water for such a duration seems miraculous, thereby casting doubt on whether the fasting actually took place.
In the period leading up to the sacred event, PM Modi’s regimen included gau-puja, a practice of cow worship, feeding cows, giving away clothes in accordance with religious scriptures, as well as subsistence only on coconut water and fruits. Embarking on a spiritual tour, he visited temples associated with the Ramayana across South India, including the Veerbhadra Temple in Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh and the Guruvayur Temple in Kerala. Moreover, the Prime Minister journeyed to Arichalmunai, a site mythologically connected to the Ram Setu. The culmination of these rituals was the pran pratishtha ceremony where Modi broke his fast with charanamrit provided by Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, associated with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Khestra.
The post-fasting period became a focal point for Moily’s scrutiny as he argued that if Modi had not strictly adhered to the fast before performing rituals in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum, it could lead to spiritual impurity and prevent the generation of divine energies. His doubts were echoed by a physician who remarked on the improbability of such a feat. In response to Moily’s comments, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya dismissed the doubts, attributing the survival during the fast to a manifestation of faith in Lord Ram and reproached Moily for seeking favor with the Gandhi family. Siroya further disparaged Moily’s legitimacy and hinted at his political ambitions within the Congress party being undermined regardless of his comments.