Lucknow: Pointing fingers at the BJP over the alleged multi-crore donation scam at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said that, for the sinners, Ayodhya would prove to be the Kurukshetra — the place where the BJP’s politics began and where it would end as well.
Impact on Devotees and Locals
“The theft of donations and offerings, including consecrated bricks, has adversely affected the number of devotees visiting the holy city of Ayodhya. People’s religious faith has been desecrated. This, in turn, has directly affected the livelihood of local residents, resulting in loss of earnings. Why should the poor people of Ayodhya suffer for the faults of the govt?” Akhilesh said in a statement on Thursday.
The former UP chief minister said resentment was brewing among the people of Ayodhya and adjoining regions. “The BJP leaders and their associates, because of whom the purity and sanctity of this holy Sanatani pilgrimage site have been vitiated, went underground, as usual, after doing what they do best,” he alleged.
Atmosphere of Suspicion and Fear
“Because of the prevailing ambiguity, the entire atmosphere has become suspicious and tense. Local people are shying away from visiting the temple, fearing that they may land in trouble in the name of the ongoing probe. An unknown fear has gripped the devotees,” Akhilesh said.
He said the status of the ongoing probe should be shared with the public on a daily basis to address growing concerns. He further alleged that, because of rampant corruption under the BJP govt, people have no faith in the probe being conducted by the three-member Special Investigation Team, or SIT, constituted by the state govt.
Mathura Temple Irregularities
Akhilesh also said reports of irregularities emerged from Mathura and warranted a high-level probe. Allegations have been levelled over the handling of donations at the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple in Mathura by none other than Dinesh ‘Phalahari’ Maharaj, a petitioner in the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi movement. He accused the temple management of financial irregularities and wrote to the chief minister, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation, or CBI, probe into the temple’s donation and revenue system.
