The Congress leader questions the moral authority of the RSS to call for punitive action against those involved in the misappropriation of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation.
NEW DELHI — The Ram Mandir embezzlement case and the response from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leadership to the alleged misappropriation are a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, senior Congress leader and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge has said.
In response to remarks by RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, Kharge questioned the organisation’s moral authority to demand punitive action against those involved.
Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi on Monday, the Congress leader challenged the RSS leadership’s delayed response to the allegations, suggesting deep-seated internal complicity within the organisations involved in the fundraising drive.
“Who are they to seek punishment? Why did they wait for so long? Their own people did this. I am sure some funds must have gone to them also,” Kharge stated.
Kharge’s remarks came after Hosabale said that the Uttar Pradesh government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and initiated legal proceedings based on its recommendations.
The RSS is the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is ruling at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh.
Kharge has been highly critical of RSS. In February, he triggered a political storm when he accused the RSS of indulging in “money laundering” and questioned its source of income.
“It (RSS) has a network of more than 2,500 organisations… They take money from them. I am telling that these people are into money laundering,” Kharge alleged in Bengaluru, while asking why the organisation remained unregistered and whether it was “above law or Constitution.”
What Did Hosabale Say?
In a first statement over the row from a top RSS functionary, Hosabale on Friday said that the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has ‘deeply hurt’ the sentiments and faith of the entire society, and called for ensuring that anyone found guilty after the investigation faces severe punishment.
Asserting that “anti-Hindu and anti-national forces” are seeking to malign the Hindu dharma by exploiting “this unfortunate incident”, Hosabale also called upon the entire Hindu society to display necessary patience and restraint during “this difficult moment” to thwart such “conspiracies”.
“It is essential to ensure that whoever is found guilty in the investigation receives strict punishment,” Hosabale said.
The RSS also appealed to devotees to maintain patience while the investigation is underway and cautioned against attempts by what it termed “anti-Hindu” and “anti-national” forces to exploit the controversy.
“The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh also appeals to the entire Hindu society to demonstrate necessary patience and restraint in this difficult moment and to foil the conspiracies of anti-Hindu, anti-national forces who seek to exploit this unfortunate incident to malign Hindu dharma and society,” a statement said.
SP, Congress Have No Right to Question: BJP
The BJP on Monday criticised Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over his remarks on the embezzlement case, asserting that his party and the Congress have no moral right to question the issue as they had consistently opposed the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Reacting to Akhilesh Yadav’s criticism of the Uttar Pradesh government, the state’s Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak described the incident as very unfortunate but accused the Opposition parties of attempting to politicise a matter related to people’s faith.
Speaking to reporters, Pathak said, “The incident is very unfortunate. However, the people of this country and every follower of Sanatan Dharma know that the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have consistently opposed the Ram Temple. They used to claim that it was not even certain that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya. They even argued before the Supreme Court that Ram Lalla’s birthplace had not been established.”
He further claimed that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party had no right to raise questions on the issue.
“They have made several remarks against Lord Ram. Lord Ram will not forget what they have said. They have repeatedly tried to defame Sanatan Dharma. They will have to face the consequences of the statements they have made about Lord Ram,” Pathak said.
BJP spokesperson R P Singh also criticised the SP leadership, saying that those who had chosen not to visit the Ram Temple should refrain from questioning issues related to it.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey refrained from entering the political exchange and said the matter should be viewed from the perspective of faith rather than politics.
“We do not want to say anything about them. We do not want to take the names of the BJP or the Congress here. This is a matter of our devotion to Lord Ram. We stand with Lord Ram with our body, mind and wealth,” Dubey said.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MP, Supriya Sule also demanded a comprehensive investigation into the alleged embezzlement, stressing that any corruption at religious places must be dealt with strictly. — With inputs from IANS
