Uddhav Thackeray Announces 'Ram Raksha' Protest Over Ayodhya Temple Donation Allegations
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday announced a protest named 'Ram Raksha' in Maharashtra starting July 5, calling on people to join and demand accountability from the BJP over alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram temple.
Addressing reporters, Thackeray said supporters would gather at the Hanuman temple in Dadar, central Mumbai, on July 5 to recite the Hanuman Chalisa and Stotra, and press the BJP to take responsibility for what he termed a 'theft' at the Ram temple.
Thackeray claimed that the alleged large-scale theft of donations had agitated people across the country, and urged them to hold the BJP accountable. He alleged that despite the BJP being in power at the Centre and in several states, there was 'chaos' and 'indifference' towards public issues.
He referenced the historical involvement of many Hindus, including members of the undivided Shiv Sena, in the Ram temple movement, and said they had endured hardships such as atrocities on 'karsevaks', the Godhra train burning, the Ahmedabad riots, and the Mumbai serial blasts. Thackeray alleged that the BJP had politically capitalised on these events and now enjoyed 'unchecked power'.
The former Maharashtra chief minister also accused the BJP of engineering defections and horse-trading of opposition legislators, asking whether the ruling party was conducting an 'Operation Ram Mandir'. Referring to social media allegations about embezzled donations, he questioned whether the stolen money was used to poach opposition leaders.
Thackeray invoked former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's remark 'Ab Hindu maar nahi khayega' and said his own message now was 'Ab Hindu maaf nahi karega'. He demanded strict punishment for those allegedly involved in the theft from Ram temple donation boxes, stressing that 'loot in the name of Hindutva' would not be tolerated.
He alleged that the BJP's slogan 'Mandir wahi banayenge' had turned out to be a facade, and vowed that the sacrifices of those who participated in the Ram temple movement would not be in vain.
The alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations first came to light on June 7. An FIR was registered on June 25 following a preliminary report by a Special Investigation Team constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government. Eight persons associated with the temple's donation and counting process have been arrested in the case, and the investigation is ongoing.
