Ram Mandir fund case: Oppn slams BJP, Kharge questions PM's silence

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge and SP's Akhilesh Yadav targeted the BJP over the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case, questioning the silence of PM Modi and Yogi Adityanath. Meanwhile, an Ayodhya court sent eight accused to judicial custody.

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday targeted the BJP over the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case, questioning the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the issue. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge accused the BJP of indulging in politics in the name of religion. "...where is the Prime Minister's voice now? Where is Yogi Adityanath's voice now? He said not to play with the emotions of Lord Ram devotees...was the Congress or SP (Samajwadi Party) involved in this? You failed to protect the beliefs of people...these are the people who have looted in the name of Lord Ram. These are the people who do politics in the name of religion..."

SP chief launches scathing attack

Earlier in the day, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav also launched a scathing attack on the BJP, alleging that the ruling party prioritises "wealth over faith" and cautioned that Lord Shri Ram would "never forgive" those who played with the sentiments of devotees. "People have long felt that their (BJP) focus here is more on wealth than on religion; for them, wealth is religion--wealth comes first, faith later. This shouldn't be about any single individual. The CM claims to have set a world record for the number of visits to Ayodhya. Was he unaware of the situation?... The Sindhi community, for instance, has alleged that they had donated silver, diamonds, or made anonymous offerings. Lord Shri Ram can never forgive those who have thus toyed with people's faith," he told reporters in Azamgarh.

8 accused sent to judicial custody

Meanwhile, a court in Ayodhya on Friday sent eight accused to judicial custody till June 29 in the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case. The accused were produced before the local court after being arrested.

KC Verma, Prosecution Officer at the Ayodhya Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court, told reporters that all eight accused had been remanded to judicial custody till Monday and would be produced before the court again on June 29. "In total, Rs 79,85,493 was recovered from them, except for one accused, Subhash. Nothing was recovered from him, though he was involved in the conspiracy. Different amounts were recovered from the others," he said. Verma said eight accused have been arrested-- Avinash Shukla, Ankalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Rama Shankar (alias Tinnu). (ANI)

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