Sena (UBT) slams BJP over Ram Mandir 'robbery', compares it to Ghazni

Shiv Sena (UBT) slammed the BJP over alleged donation irregularities at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, comparing the 'robbery' to Mahmud of Ghazni's loot of the Somnath Temple. The party's mouthpiece Saamana also targeted Home Minister Amit Shah.

Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday slammed the BJP over the alleged irregularities in the donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, stating that the "robbery" represents a collapse of the law and order situation.

In an editorial in Sena (UBT)'s mouthpiece, Saamana, the party accused the BJP of looting the Ram Temple, while targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The editorial read, "The country has now witnessed what 'temple development' actually means--namely, the looting of the deity's donation boxes--at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Donations, gold, silver, and jewellery at the Ram Mandir were brazenly looted. Kar Sevaks shed their blood and made the ultimate sacrifice for the Ram Mandir, yet it was the BJP that looted that very temple. The way Mahmud of Ghazni looted the Somnath Temple, the BJP has looted the Ram Temple."

"At least such thefts and robberies have not occurred at the Ambabai Temple. The robbery of the donation box at the Ram Mandir represents a complete collapse of law and order. They cannot even protect the Ram Mandir, yet they have the audacity to talk about developing our Ambabai Temple," the paper stated.

'Looters in Amit Shah's lap'

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction further alleged a collusion between the "looters" and Home Minister Amit Shah. "Many major temples across the country have been looted over the last decade, and all these looters appear to be within the BJP, sitting right in Mr Amit Shah's lap. Shah alleges that Uddhav Thackeray is sitting in the lap of the Congress party--a party trying to sustain its existence by using infiltrators as a 'vote bank.' This is his anti-Maharashtra vitriol. They themselves are the looters of the Ram Mandir and the assassins of democracy. These people, who made no contribution to the freedom struggle, dare to point fingers at Thackeray. This is a sign of Shah's deteriorating mental health," the editorial stated.

The particular attack towards Shah comes after his Kolhapur public meeting, where he called Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena as the "only Shiv Sena," and also discussed the renovation and corridor construction of Mata Ambabai Temple.

UP Govt forms SIT to probe irregularities

Meanwhile, the BJP has faced heated attacks from the opposition over the Ram Temple donation row. Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal questioned the alleged inaction over the Ram Temple donation row, claiming that no FIR had been registered despite allegations of large-scale theft of donations.

Meanwhile, on June 14, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate irregularities in the offerings made at the Ram Temple, following a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Trust.

The SIT comprises Vijay Vishwas Pant, IAS, Divisional Commissioner, Lucknow; Kiran S, IPS, IG (Range); and Neel Ratan, Special Secretary, Finance. The committee has been directed to submit its preliminary and final reports as soon as possible. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)