Bengaluru: BJP MLC CT Ravi on Wednesday accused Congress leaders of making “false and baseless” allegations against the BJP over the alleged theft of donations from the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation box, asserting that no BJP leader is part of the temple trust.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Ravi said the alleged theft had caused anguish among BJP workers and devotees alike, as the Ram Temple was the outcome of a centuries-long movement backed by the sacrifices of thousands of people and the faith of millions.
“The way Congress leaders are making allegations, one would think BJP leaders are running the Ayodhya trust. The fact is that there are no BJP leaders in the trust. Yet, they are falsely accusing the BJP of the alleged misappropriation,” he said.
Ravi said the Uttar Pradesh government acted swiftly after the allegations surfaced by constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT). He claimed that more than eight accused persons had been arrested and properties worth several crores of rupees had been seized as part of the investigation.
The BJP leader also alleged that the Congress had never openly supported the construction of the Ram Temple. “I have been in politics for four decades, and at no point did the Congress publicly support the temple movement. Had it done so, the prolonged conflict could have been avoided,” he said.
Targeting Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge, Ravi claimed that neither Kharge nor his father had ever backed the Ram Temple movement. He also recalled that kar sevaks were jailed during the agitation and alleged that even raising slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” was treated as an offence at the time.
Drawing a comparison with Karnataka, Ravi said those demanding accountability in the Ayodhya donation case should also seek an investigation into the alleged irregularities in the state’s Gruha Lakshmi scheme. He urged those advising Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to also demand a probe into the alleged misuse of public funds in Karnataka.
Ravi further criticised Priyank Kharge, accusing him of being active only on social media while remaining silent on issues such as alleged “love jihad”, communal incidents, drug abuse, rape, betting rackets and murders in the state. He said the home minister should focus on maintaining law and order instead of making political statements and answer questions on governance.
