The Shiv Sena (UBT), facing a major rebellion in its parliamentary unit, launched a sharp attack on the BJP on Monday over alleged irregularities in donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
In an editorial in its party mouthpiece Saamana, the party accused the BJP of looting the Ram Temple in the same manner that Mahmud of Ghazni plundered the Somnath Temple.
“The country has now witnessed what ‘temple development’ actually means—the looting of the deity’s donation boxes at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya,” the editorial said, alleging that donations, gold, silver, and jewellery from the temple had been “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,” it added.
The editorial further claimed that the alleged theft from the temple donation box reflected a collapse of law and order. “They cannot even protect the Ram Mandir, yet they have the audacity to talk about developing our Ambabai Temple,” it stated.
The Sena (UBT) also alleged a nexus between what it called “temple looters” and Union 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,” it alleged.
The remarks came after Shah addressed a gathering in Kolhapur, where he spoke about the renovation and corridor development of the Mata Ambabai Temple.
During his address, Shah described the faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the “real Shiv Sena,” a comment made amid an ongoing split within the Uddhav Thackeray-led camp. Reports suggest that at least six of the nine Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs have switched allegiance to the Shinde-led faction and are expected to make a formal announcement today.
The development comes close on the heels of a similar rebellion in the Trinamool Congress and is being viewed by opposition parties as part of an effort to strengthen the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lok Sabha ahead of the monsoon session, during which the government is expected to introduce several key bills.
Meanwhile, the Ram Temple donation controversy has intensified, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioning whether the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government would be allowed to function impartially.
“The reports emerging are disturbing. People’s devotion and attachment to Lord Ram are unparalleled. People never imagined such reports regarding their offerings would surface. Although the government has constituted an SIT, a major question remains: will the SIT be allowed to function impartially?” Yadav said.
Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also questioned the handling of the case, alleging that no FIR had been registered despite claims of large-scale theft of donations.
