The Constitutional Conduct Group of former senior civil servants has spoken out against the participation of State functionaries in the Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya last month.

In a statement, 65 signatories — formerly of the IAS, IFS, IPS, RAS and the central public works department — expressed their “deep disquiet about the manner in which the Indian state was closely associated with the consecration ceremony of the Shri Ram Temple”.

They wrote: “Given the troubled history of the last three decades, it would have been in the fitness of things if the consecration of the temple had been undertaken by heads of the Hindu religious faith rather than by a constitutional functionary, which goes against the basic credo of secularism enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution of India.”

The former bureaucrats added: “At times like these, it behoves the majority community to show restraint and maintain dignity, especially when a fractious issue has finally reached resolution. On the contrary, the efforts over the past few days to raise fresh issues concerning the religious faith of the two communities — Gyanvapi mosque at Varanasi, Krishna Janmabhoomi at Mathura, the conduct of the Shah Jahan Urs at the Taj Mahal and the Haji Malang dargah at Kalyan (Maharashtra) — are unnecessary irritants to social peace and harmony at a time when so many more important issues confront the nation.”

They concluded: “It is the primary responsibility of the Union Government and the State Governments to maintain an equal distance from all religions, inculcate in their citizens the principle of fraternity enjoined by the Preamble to the Constitution of India and apply strictly the rule of law in ensuring that all citizens conduct their day to day affairs as laid down by the Constitution of India and the laws thereunder.”

The signatories include former foreign secretary Sujatha Singh and former secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing A.S. Dulat.