Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation theft: Priyank Kharge hits out at RSS – ‘Who’re they to seek punishment?’

Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation theft: Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge, on 6 July, slammed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) following remarks by its General Secretary, Dattatreya Hosabale, regarding the alleged embezzlement of donations meant for the Ram Mandir.

Addressing the controversy surrounding the collection and management of donations for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Kharge questioned the organisation's moral authority to call for punitive action against those involved in the misappropriation of funds.

Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi, 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.

The 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).

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, RSS, say over the Ram Mandir row?

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,” the statement said.

The remarks come as the SIT continues its probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple. The Uttar Pradesh government, on 1 July, granted the SIT a 15-day extension to broaden the scope of its investigation and conduct a comprehensive inquiry into all aspects of the case.

Trust to hold key meeting today amid political storm

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will hold a crucial meeting today at the Ram Temple complex in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, amid the ongoing controversy over the alleged embezzlement of temple donations.

The meeting comes as the issue has triggered a political confrontation, with Opposition parties demanding a probe while the Bharatiya Janata Party has accused them of targeting the Hindu faith.

Meanwhile, an FIR was registered on 25 June, after the SIT submitted its preliminary report on 23 June, and eight accused were arrested. Subsequently, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and former trustee Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility for the alleged misappropriation of temple donations.

(With ANI inputs)