Mohan Bhagwat breaks silence on Ayodhya temple theft allegations with two words
In what comes as his first response, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat offered a brief, two-word reaction to allegations of theft at the Ayodhya Ram Temple
Following allegations of theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, which RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale stated had "deeply hurt" society, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat offered a brief, evasive "Ram Ram" in response to questions about attempts to weaken devotees' faith, marking his sole public comment on the controversy. Hosabale had previously condemned the incident, labeling it an attempt by "anti-Hindu and anti-national forces" to tarnish Hindu dharma and urged patience from the Hindu community. Concurrently, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is scheduled to convene on Monday to review the preliminary report from a special investigation team, whose probe, along with a separate police investigation, is ongoing and has seen the SIT's tenure extended.
Following allegations of theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, which RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale stated had "deeply hurt" society, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat offered a brief, evasive "Ram Ram" in response to questions about attempts to weaken devotees' faith, marking his sole public comment on the controversy. Hosabale had previously condemned the incident, labeling it an attempt by "anti-Hindu and anti-national forces" to tarnish Hindu dharma and urged patience from the Hindu community. Concurrently, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is scheduled to convene on Monday to review the preliminary report from a special investigation team, whose probe, along with a separate police investigation, is ongoing and has seen the SIT's tenure extended.
Following allegations of theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, which RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale stated had "deeply hurt" society, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat offered a brief, evasive "Ram Ram" in response to questions about attempts to weaken devotees' faith, marking his sole public comment on the controversy. Hosabale had previously condemned the incident, labeling it an attempt by "anti-Hindu and anti-national forces" to tarnish Hindu dharma and urged patience from the Hindu community. Concurrently, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is scheduled to convene on Monday to review the preliminary report from a special investigation team, whose probe, along with a separate police investigation, is ongoing and has seen the SIT's tenure extended.
A day after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale claimed that the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya had "deeply hurt" the sentiments and faith of the entire society, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat was asked about the allegations that some people were trying to weaken the faith of devotees in Lord Ram.
He was, however, evasive, choosing a two-word answer. He briefly said "Ram Ram" when reporters asked him about alleged attempts to undermine the faith of devotees.
This was his first and only reaction to the entire controversy.
On Friday, asserting that "anti-Hindu and anti-national forces" are seeking to malign the Hindu dharma by exploiting "this unfortunate incident", Hosabale had urged the Hindu society to display necessary patience and restraint during "this difficult moment."
"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," he had said in a statement on X, adding, "We are all extremely pained and angered by this event."
Meanwhile, members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will meet at Mani Ramdas Chavni in Ayodhya on Monday to discuss the preliminary report of the SIT, formed to probe the alleged theft.
The meeting is happening amid two parallel investigations into the allegations, one being conducted by a special investigation team whose tenure has been extended till the end of July, and another by the police.