"So Prime Minister @NarendraModi will inaugurate the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22nd and the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi on February 14th. I expect elections to be called very soon thereafter. The message is clear. In 2009, Mr Modi was sold to the Indian electorate as the avatar of economic development, the CEO of Gujarat Inc., who would bring development to all Indians," Tharoor wrote on X.

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"In 2019, with that narrative collapsing in the wake of the disastrous demonetisation, the Pulwama terrorist attack gave Mr Modi the opportunity to convert the general election into a national security election. In 2024, it is clear the BJP will now revert to its core message and offer Narendra Modi to the nation as a Hindu Hriday Samrat," the post read.

"All of this begs the question: what happened to achhe din? What happened to 2 crore jobs a year? What happened to economic growth that would benefit the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder? What happened to putting disposable income into the pockets and bank accounts of every Indian? These questions will have to be debated in an election that is shaping up to be Hindutva versus popular welfare," it added.

Tharoor's critical remarks hold significance as Congress is facing pressure from its coalition partners, like the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), to maintain a distance from the grand event. Leaders like CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury have already declined an invitation to the consecration ceremony.

Meanwhile, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has sent an invitation to Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge for the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir.