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Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Friday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government and the Uttar Pradesh government over the alleged misappropriation of Rs 7 crore from offerings made at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, claiming that "theft" is pervasive within the BJP, as the party has a history of stealing everything, be it EVMs or the offerings made by devotees to Lord Ram.
Addressing a press conference, Raut announced that the Shiv Sena (UBT) plans to visit Ayodhya to bow their heads and seek forgiveness from Lord Ram. "The way a dacoity involving over Rs 5 crore was committed against the Ram Mandir's offerings; it is visible in the CCTV footage... If Rs 5crore from the offerings made to Ram are stolen, your government, both in UP and at the Centre is responsible. You steal EVMs, votes, seats, and you even steal from the offerings made to Ram; theft is everywhere with you... We feel Lord Ram is calling us back. Yesterday, I spoke to Uddhav Thackeray ji and said we must go to Ayodhya. So, a program for Ayodhya is being planned. We will go to Ayodhya first. We will meet Lord Ram first. We will bow our heads and seek forgiveness from Lord Shri Ram..." said Raut. Raut's remarks came after Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that large sums of donated funds had gone missing and demanded a judicial probe. The controversy stems from allegations by former SP MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations had been swindled. However, Champat Rai, General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, has categorically rejected these claims. Akhilesh Yadav, however, has demanded an impartial investigation into the matter. He further alleged that the silence of the Uttar Pradesh government on the matter is suspicious, urging the judiciary to take cognisance of the situation and calling on the temple administration to make relevant CCTV footage public. (ANI)
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