Opposition stages protest in Parliament over Ram Mandir donation theft row

Several Samajwadi Party (SP) MPs raised the Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation theft issue, displaying posters with slogans reading "Chanda chor, gaddi chhod" (Donation thieves, step down). Other Opposition MPs protested against Amit Shah holding posters that read "Amit Shah jawab do" (Amit Shah, give an answer).

Opposition parties have been protesting against the government in Parliament over both issues since the beginning of the Monsoon Session.

The Ram Mandir controversy pertains to allegations of financial embezzlement involving donation funds, while the Opposition has also been demanding accountability over the force deployed against demonstrators during the July 20 rally in the national capital.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut defended the Opposition's criticism of the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement case, saying raising questions over the alleged theft of donations and valuables from the temple should not be equated with being "anti-Ram."

His remarks came after Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Opposition of being anti-Lord Ram for repeatedly raising the issue in Parliament.

Responding to the charge, Raut said, "There was theft in the Ram Temple. Is Lord Ram responsible for that? We raised our voice against the theft, and now we are being called anti-Ram. What kind of Hindutva is this? Money was stolen, donation boxes were looted, even ornaments and Sita Mata's mangalsutra were reportedly stolen. We raised these issues, and now we are labelled anti-Ram. Meanwhile, those responsible for the theft are being projected as Ram devotees."

On Wednesday, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), and Samajwadi Party (SP) of holding an "anti-Lord Ram" stance, alleging that they have consistently opposed the deity's existence and protested the construction of the Ram Mandir.

Addressing the lower house, Rijiju slammed the Opposition over their protests regarding the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft, underlining that they wore black bands to showcase disagreement with the construction of the temple.

"Congress, CPI, and SP are anti-Lord Ram. They have always taken an anti-Lord Ram stand. They always opposed the existence of Lord Ram," Rijiju said.

"When the Ram Mandir was being built, they wore black bands to protest it. But the drama they have enacted here inside the Parliament complex has left us deeply saddened," he said. (ANI)