Former MP Accuses BJP, RSS, VHP of Politicising Lord Ram for Gain

In a sharp critique of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliates, former Member of Parliament and Congress leader V. S. Ugrappa alleged on July 12 that the BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) have "hijacked Lord Ram for political gain." Speaking in Karwar and later in Belagavi, Karnataka, Ugrappa claimed that these organisations lack genuine devotion and are exploiting religious sentiments.

Ugrappa specifically pointed to the alleged misuse of funds donated for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He stated that the temple trust received donations worth thousands of crores of rupees from individuals, government agencies, and public sector undertakings. However, he accused some trust members and its head of involvement in what he termed a "loot." He questioned why the BJP, RSS, and VHP remained silent on the issue, and why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have not addressed the allegations. Ugrappa demanded their resignations on moral grounds.

He noted that the Uttar Pradesh police had arrested only low-level staff and had not pursued senior leaders allegedly involved. The trust's head and members have resigned, but Ugrappa insisted that the BJP, RSS, and VHP should apologise to the nation.

Ugrappa also highlighted other issues, including the alleged misuse of reservation benefits by ineligible individuals through fake Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates. He said this injustice to the ST community is being ignored by political leaders. Additionally, he dismissed BJP allegations regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Karnataka as false, stating that providing permanent residency certificates to those without documents is not improper.

The event was attended by Prakash Desai, Narasimha Valmiki, Nagaraj Talwar, Suresh Kalloli, and Jagadish Olekar.