New Delhi: The alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has sparked a major political controversy, with several organisations, including right-wing groups, demanding strict action against those responsible.
On Friday, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale condemned the alleged embezzlement of temple donations, saying the incident had "deeply hurt" the sentiments and faith of society. He called for stringent punishment for those found guilty after the investigation.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray announced a 'Ram Raksha' agitation in Maharashtra from July 5, urging people to join the protest and hold the BJP accountable over the alleged theft.
Thackeray said party workers and supporters would gather at the Hanuman Temple in Dadar, central Mumbai, on Sunday (July 5) to recite the Hanuman Stotra and Hanuman Chalisa before launching the protest.
"I appeal to all those agitated over this alleged large-scale theft at the Ram Temple to join us and hold the BJP accountable for it," Thackeray told reporters.
The BJP hit back at the Sena (UBT), with Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane accusing Thackeray of speaking "like a Pakistani agent" and saying that the places where he performs maha aarti should be "purified" with gomutra.
'Anti-Hindu forces exploiting Ayodhya temple incident': Hosabale
Asserting that "anti-Hindu and anti-national forces" were attempting to malign Hinduism by exploiting "this unfortunate incident", Hosabale urged the Hindu community to exercise patience and restraint to thwart such "conspiracies".
"The unfortunate incident of theft in the donation boxes kept at the Shri Ram Lalla Temple in Ayodhya has deeply hurt the sentiments and faith of the entire society and Ram devotees," the RSS second-in-command said in a statement on X.
"We are all extremely pained and angered by this incident," he added.
Hosabale said it was natural for the entire Hindu community, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), to expect the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to treat the "highly condemnable" incident as an extraordinary matter and take effective steps to address shortcomings in the temple's management and operations.
He said such measures were crucial to ensuring that the faith of crores of Ram devotees in the Ayodhya temple remained intact.
Hosabale noted that, at the request of the Trust, the Uttar Pradesh government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and initiated legal proceedings based on its preliminary findings.
He said it was essential to ensure that anyone found guilty after the investigation received "severe punishment" and stressed that the prevailing "state of confusion and uncertainty" must end.
"In this regard, we expect the temple management and the government-appointed SIT to take all necessary initiatives," he added.
The alleged embezzlement of Ram Temple donations came to light on June 7. An FIR was registered on June 25 following the SIT's preliminary report.
The probe team arrested eight persons associated with the temple's donation collection and cash-counting process. The SIT is expected to submit its investigation report on July 15.
