Uddhav Thackeray attacks BJP over Ram Mandir donation row (Photo: PTI)
NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday attacked BJP over the alleged Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case referring to it as “Babur Janata Party”, and accused the saffron party of exploiting the temple for political gain.Addressing rallies in Parbhani and Dharashiv during his tour of Maharashtra’s Marathwada region, the former chief minister alleged that the BJP had betrayed the ideology of Hindutva and was using religious sentiments to secure political power.”Babur demolished the Ram Mandir. A ‘Babur Janata Party’ has now come to loot the newly constructed temple. What is the difference between them?” Thackeray said.Referring to the BJP’s long-standing slogan of “Mandir Wahi Banayenge”, he questioned the party’s intentions behind the construction of the Ram temple.”The Ram Mandir is a source of inspiration for Hindus. My question is why they have turned the temple into a shop. This temple is the outcome of a long struggle. Earlier, the BJP gave the slogan ‘Mandir Vahi Banayenge’ (Temple will be built at the same spot in Ayodhya). Now, we know why they wanted to build this temple. They have betrayed the ideology of Hindutva,” he said.Thackeray also accused the BJP of trying to weaken the Shiv Sena to undermine “Maharashtra dharma” and Marathi identity. “They are splitting Shiv Sena because they want to finish Maharashtra dharma and Marathi asmita (pride), and erase the self-respect taught by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. They want to take everything to Gujarat,” he alleged. He further claimed that even contracts related to the upcoming Kumbh Mela in Nashik were being awarded to companies from Gujarat.Thackeray also demanded the immediate disqualification of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs who joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on June 22.”If there is a rule of law in this country, these six MPs should be disqualified. I still believe in the Lok Sabha Speaker because if he does not follow the law, he cannot ask others to follow it. We respect his authority, not his wishes,” Thackeray said.The six MPs, including Sanjay Jadhav and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, switched allegiance to the Shinde camp, reducing the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s strength in the Lok Sabha from nine to three members.Questioning the BJP’s need for defectors, Thackeray asked, “If you have the majority, then why do you need my MPs?” adding that “traitors need to be crushed.”Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath targeted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over his remarks on Ayodhya.Addressing a gathering in Hathras, Adityanath accused the previous Samajwadi Party government of firing on Ram devotees.”I was reading a statement by SP President Akhilesh Yadav yesterday. He was saying that if his government came to power, he would transform Ayodhya into a ‘religious city.’ What kind of religious city would you create? It was your government, the SP government, that opened fire on the devotees of Lord Ram,” Adityanath said.”You lack the courage; apart from kneeling before Mullahs and Maulvis, you have no agenda for the state’s development or for upholding the identity of Ayodhya, Mathura, and Kashi,” he added.Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had questioned Adityanath’s repeated visits to Ayodhya, referring to reports that CCTV footage linked to the alleged donation embezzlement case had been tampered with.”The SIT report itself indicates that CCTV footage was tampered with. Was the chief minister setting a record for the number of visits to Ayodhya just to oversee ongoing theft? Why is it that, despite making so many visits, he remained unaware of the activities taking place within the temple complex?” Akhilesh told ANI.The political controversy intensified after Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility in the alleged donation embezzlement case.Meanwhile, a court in Ayodhya on Friday remanded eight accused to judicial custody till June 29 in the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case. According to officials, those arrested are Avinash Shukla, Ankalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Rama Shankar alias Tinnu. Go to Source
