A furious Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today attacked the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party for misusing temple donations and diverting money to Muslims to build mosque walls. He spoke as the Ram Temple donation scandal is underway in Ayodhya.
In Ayodhya, at a public meeting, Adityanath accused the Samajwadi Party of exploiting temples for political and financial reasons. “The Samajwadi Party used to take over temples. The donations offered by devotees were pocketed and that money was used to build mosque walls," he alleged.
The BJP leader also claimed that the opposition was trying to politicise the Ram Temple donation issue while ignoring what he described as larger concerns concerning temple properties and public faith.
The Chief Minister's comments have fuelled the political war between the BJP and the opposition in Uttar Pradesh, who are fighting each other over Ayodhya, the Ram Temple, and religious institutions.
In his speech, Adityanath also accused the Congress and the Samajwadi Party of questioning the existence and authenticity of Lord Ram in the past while opposing the development of Ayodhya.
"The Congress and the Samajwadi Party questioned the authenticity of Lord Ram. At the time the BJP came to power, the long-pending dream of constructing the Ram Mandir became a reality," he said.
In turning Ayodhya around in recent years, the chief minister pointed to the major infrastructure projects carried out by the BJP government, including the construction of Maharishi Valmiki International Airport.
"No one had imagined that Ayodhya would have an international airport. Samajwadi Party leaders used to mock the idea. Today, the airport has become a reality, but they are unhappy even with its name because it has been named after Maharishi Valmiki," Adityanath said.
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also recalled the long-standing political debate in the state around Hanumangarhi temple. “We know that there was some attempt to organise namaz near the temple during the Samajwadi Party government in 2003,” he said and wondered why such an event was even considered.
"Can anyone recite the Hanuman Chalisa inside the Jama Masjid? Can any government make that happen? If not, then why was there an attempt to offer namaz on the steps of Hanumangarhi?" he asked.
The BJP has alleged that during the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led government, Ramzan prayers and iftar gatherings in Ayodhya near the Hanumangarhi temple were arranged. Former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police and BJP MP Brij Lal said that local authorities denied permission for the proposed event, preventing it from taking place.
Adityanath also expanded his criticism to Waqf properties, accusing the Congress and the Samajwadi Party of not intervening in relation to the alleged sale of Waqf land that, according to him, could have been used for the welfare of economically weaker sections.
"I want to ask the Samajwadi Party and the Congress whether they ever spoke about thousands of hectares of land allegedly sold in the name of Waqf. That land belonged to the poor and weaker sections and could have been used for their benefit," he said.
The chief minister's comments come at a time when political tensions have intensified over the alleged theft of donations to the Ram Temple. The issue has resulted in angry exchanges between the BJP and opposition parties that have seen both sides attack each other in a bitter battle of religious sentiment and seeking to utilise religious sentiment for political gain.
The BJP has claimed that it is determined to protect the interests of Ayodhya and the Ram Temple and to protect the Ram Temple’s integrity, but opposition parties have denigrated the government of India for how it handled the donation controversy and accused it of using religion as a tool to divert attention from governance issues.
Because Uttar Pradesh is one of India’s most politically important states, the latest war of words shows how Ayodhya, the Ram Temple, and religious issues remain at the centre of the state’s politics as a whole and are still at the heart of the state’s political talk. The accusations of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s assertions will be countered by the Samajwadi Party and Congress and will be a source of tension in the days ahead.
The allegations about the misuse of temple donations, temple management, Waqf properties, and past incidents are made by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during his speech. The Samajwadi Party and the Congress have previously denied various BJP allegations on similar issues.
