# Kirti Azad Ram Temple remarks spark row with BJP leaders 2026-11-11T20:14:04+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets TMC MP Kirti Azad triggered a political row on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, by saying he would never visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya because of how Lord Ram treated Goddess Sita after her agni pariksha. Azad, who represents Bardhaman-Durgapur, said Sita was his mother and that Lord Ram sent her away despite her passing the test. He said he worships Maa Kali and other Hindu deities. BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi countered by accusing Azad of insulting Sanatan Dharma, invoking the Ramayana and Mahabharata. In Patna, BJP spokesperson Prem Ranjan Patel called Azad a 'nastik' who forgot the 'sanatani' tradition. Azad, a former BJP MP and 1983 World Cup winner, was expelled from the party after a fallout with Arun Jaitley and later joined the TMC in 2024. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both ET and ToI report Kirti Azad's refusal to visit the Ram Temple and his criticism of Lord Ram's treatment of Sita. ET leads with the political exchange, quoting BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi accusing Azad of insulting Sanatan Dharma. ToI leads with the controversy and adds local reaction from BJP spokesperson Prem Ranjan Patel, who calls Azad a 'nastik'. ToI also includes Azad's background as a former BJP MP and his explanation of his devotion to Maa Kali, showing he remains a Hindu. ET omits this context, framing the story as a direct clash. Both give Azad's main argument prominence. The difference is in how much context each gives to Azad's position: ToI provides more of his religious background, while ET highlights the BJP counter. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Leads with BJP counter, omits Azad's explanation of being a Hindu - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Provides more context on Azad's Hindu devotion and background This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: Ayodhya, BJP, Kirti Azad, Ram temple, Sudhanshu Trivedi, TMC Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/kirti-azad-ram-temple-remarks-spark-row-with-bjp-leaders/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/kirti-azad-ram-temple-remarks-spark-row-with-bjp-leaders/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/