Oppn steps up Ram Temple donation row; BJP accuses them of insulting faith

The Opposition on Friday intensified its attack over the alleged ‘chanda chori’ (donation theft) at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, prompting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to hit back by accusing its rivals of insulting the Hindu faith and ignoring the government’s swift action against the accused.Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan (Pappu Yadav) and other opposition MPs protest in Parliament premises over the alleged donation theft in Ram Temple. (ANI)According to people aware of the developments, the Lok Sabha Speaker’s Office is expected to meet lawmakers to discuss stricter enforcement of existing guidelines governing protests and demonstrations within the Parliament precincts.The Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) escalated their protest by staging a street play outside Makar Dwar, the main entrance to Parliament, depicting the alleged donation theft.Independent MP Pappu Yadav, dressed in saffron robes, enacted the role of a person allegedly stealing donations before being ‘caught’ by Ayodhya MP and SP leader Awadhesh Prasad. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, SP MP Dimple Yadav and several Opposition MPs also briefly participated in the skit.Addressing reporters later, Prasad said, “A united Opposition is raising this issue... The Samajwadi Party is leading the fight because our leader Akhilesh Yadav exposed the alleged ‘donation theft’. Today, the matter is being discussed across the country...and it is our responsibility to pursue it as entrusted to us by the people of Ayodhya. Ayodhya is the land of Maryada Purushottam Lord Ram. If Ayodhya has been insulted, we will raise the issue with full determination. We will also raise it in Parliament and demand a discussion.”The BJP, however, condemned the portrayal of saffron-clad saints as thieves.“It is in poor taste. The government took swift action against the accused, the entire process of donation collection has been sanitised and is being monitored... no one has been spared,” a senior BJP lawmaker said.The leader added, “People of this country can see through the Opposition’s attempts to spread misinformation. They will punish those insulting Hindu saints.”Another BJP lawmaker accused the Opposition of politicising the issue to disrupt Parliament.“They wanted to use the students’ protest as an excuse to stall the House. When that did not work, they switched to the donation issue. The truth is that the Opposition does not want the House to function,” the lawmaker said.On protests within the Parliament complex, an official familiar with the matter said, “There are already guidelines in place for protests, but there is a likelihood of a meeting with lawmakers to discuss how these can be enforced more effectively.”The issue comes amid repeated protests inside the Parliament precincts that have drawn criticism from both the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman.In 2023, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee mimicked then Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on the steps of Makar Dwar during protests over the suspension of more than 140 Opposition MPs. Dhankhar had described the incident as “shameful and unacceptable”.The Lok Sabha Secretariat has also asked MPs not to hold protests or demonstrations in front of Parliament gates, saying they can “cause serious hindrance to the movement of members to the Parliament Chambers during sittings of the Houses.”“Lok Sabha Speaker has directed that the building gates should remain free from any blockade, which is also essential for ensuring the safety and security of members in the Parliament House,” a person aware of the matter said.