Suddenly, the Congress has found a reason to be the voice of 100 crore devotees of Lord Rama across the country after the reports of theft of donation money from Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Just two years ago, the Congress leadership refused to attend the inauguration ceremony of the temple.
The alleged theft of the donation money in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir has indeed come as a great shock to crores of devotees across India and abroad. Not that stealing of donations from religious places is anything new, but such a thing happening in the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is unacceptable.
Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is not an ordinary temple. It has come up as one of the most important symbols of the Hindu civilisation. Rebuilding of the temple in itself was a great struggle and a battle on multiple fronts.
Uttar Pradesh currently has the Bharatiya Janata Party government. The trust that manages the affairs of the Ram Mandir is understandably dominated by people linked and associated with the BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Obviously because these organisations worked hard and ensured that Ram Mandir was constructed against all odds. Millions of people have visited the Ram Mandir since its inauguration in January 2024. There is a deep faith involved with the temple. Hundreds of crores of rupees have been donated by devout Hindus not only from India but from across the world.
The Uttar Pradesh government has taken all necessary action expected of it. The Secretary of the Trust managing the temple has resigned.
Quite expectedly, the opposition parties have joined the issue. The Samajwadi Party, the Congress as also the Aam Aadmi Party have raised the issue and demanded an inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the alleged massive bungling. It is natural for the opposition parties to demand action and thorough probe and inquiry.
The actual extent of theft will be difficult to establish since a lot of donations are made through “donation boxes” and no receipts are issued. The faith of the devout has been shaken. There has been grave negligence on part of those who were at the helm of the trust. Had proper and adequate measures been taken at the right time, such theft and embarrassment would have been saved.
For the last one week or so, the Congress has been regularly raising the matter. One press conference is held almost every day at the party headquarters in Delhi, where the party has been repeating and reiterating the demand for a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge besides arrest of the trustees. The party claims that the UP police have only arrested a few “pawns” while letting off the big fish. The party “believes and asserts” that the faith of 100 crore Hindus across the country has been shaken.
Also read: BJD MP moves SC seeking CBI probe into Ayodhya Trust finances
The Congress’ aggressive campaign for probe is understandable since Uttar Pradesh is going for assembly polls six months from now. The party obviously believes that it has got something it can corner the BJP with, which has been in power in the state for about 10 years now. The party alleges that the donation theft took place under the BJP’s nose and connivance.
However, the Congress lacks credibility when it refers to the faith of 100 crore Hindus across the globe. As the opposition party, it is duty bound to raise the matter. But playing the sentiments of Hindus at this time speaks of the party’s double standards, political opportunism and hypocrisy.
The Congress has always distanced itself from the Ram Temple. Its leaders maintained a distance from the temple, literally. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi declined the invitations for the inauguration of the Ram Mandir on January 22, 2024. The Congress leaders suggested that since the party believed in secularism, it wanted to keep a distance from a religious ceremony.
But, now with elections round the corner, the Congress has jumped the “religious bandwagon” targeting the BJP and the RSS for donation theft and directly blaming its leaders for the same.
The party’s stand today would have sounded credible had its leaders not declined the invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony. In fact, neither Congress president Kharge nor Rahul Gandhi have visited the Ram Temple so far, even after two years of its inauguration.
The Congress may have found a reason to corner the BJP government over the theft, but the BJP for sure will corner the party for having opposed the construction of the Ram Temple all through and its leaders not only refusing to attend the inaugural ceremony, but never ever having visited the temple. Whether the Congress’ new found love for the Ram Mandir and the faith of 100 crore devout Hindus will get it any benefit in the elections, is anybody’s guess.
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