New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) The BJP on Saturday launched a sharp attack on former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader, Digvijaya Singh, over his remarks on the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case, accusing the party of never accepting the existence of Lord Ram and questioning the timing of Singh’s decision to seek legal action.

The BJP added that Congress leaders had historically questioned the existence of Lord Ram and asserted that their recent expressions of concern over the Ram Temple donation issue were politically motivated.

The party also maintained that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was already probing the alleged irregularities and that the law would take its course.

Speaking to reporters, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said the Congress had no moral authority to comment on issues related to Lord Ram and Sanatan Dharma.

“Everyone keeps making different statements, but is India a dharamshala? India’s identity cannot exist without Sanatan. Digvijaya Singh has no right to speak on this issue. Congress leaders never accepted the existence of Lord Ram. Why has their love for Lord Ram awakened now? Lord Ram is so revered that everyone who deceived him is now being exposed,” Giriraj Singh said.

BJP Chief Spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo also criticised Digvijaya Singh, saying that his reaction had come far too late.

“Digvijaya Singh has reacted far too late. He should have filed a case back in 2007, when his own government was claiming that Ram Lalla was imaginary. Had he taken a stand against his own government at that time and said that he did not agree with its position and that Ram Lalla does exist, our respect for him would have increased. But he remained silent then. His government kept arguing that the Ramayana was a myth and that Ram Lalla was an imaginary character with no historical or archaeological evidence. Therefore, his demand to file a case now is a hollow argument. The SIT is already making arrests, so filing a case at this stage serves no purpose. We are confident that the SIT will soon file the chargesheet,” Shah Deo told IANS.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Narendra Kashyap also questioned Digvijaya Singh’s remarks and accused the Congress of denying the existence of Lord Ram.

“Even Digvijaya Singh himself might not understand what he is saying. Who is being punished? The one who denied the existence of Lord Ram or the one who is increasing the respect of Lord Ram? Who denied the existence of Lord Ram? The Congress party. Who is being punished? The Congress party,” Kashyap told IANS.

Union Minister of State B.L. Verma alleged that Digvijaya Singh and the Congress were facing the consequences of their past actions.

“Digvijaya Singh and the Congress are facing the consequences of their actions. Whenever Digvijaya Singh makes statements from time to time, the public does not take them very seriously. However, he has never had faith in Lord Ram,” Verma told IANS.

BJP spokesperson R.P. Singh also targeted the Congress veteran, alleging that he had repeatedly hurt Hindu sentiments.

“Digvijaya Singh has continuously made remarks hurting Hindu faith, yet today he has taken on the role of a religious teacher. The truth is that the Congress party and leaders like Digvijaya Singh are opponents of Sanatan traditions,” he said.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar questioned the need for Singh’s proposed legal action when the SIT was already investigating the matter.

“What work do they have? Don’t they have any other work? They keep raising questions even when everyone already knows that an SIT has been formed and the investigation is underway. What more do they want?” Rajbhar said.

BJP Bihar President Sanjay Saraogi also criticised the Congress, saying that the party had consistently questioned Lord Ram.

“Digvijaya Singh and the party he belongs to had questioned the very existence of Lord Ram. They keep changing their stand. Their leader, Rahul Gandhi, has never even bowed before Lord Ram. He did not visit when Lord Ram was in the tent, and when he came in 2016, he returned from Hanuman Garhi without visiting the Ram Janmabhoomi. This is the same party that created several obstacles,” Saraogi alleged.

Meanwhile, RJD MP Sudhakar Singh refrained from directly commenting on Digvijaya Singh’s statement but referred to concerns raised by some religious scholars about rituals and procedures during the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony on January 22, 2024.

“I am not an expert on religious matters to comment on Digvijaya Singh’s statement,” he said shortly.

“However, we have heard from several priests and religious scholars that the rituals and procedures during the Ram Mandir consecration were not properly followed. Many priests have said this. I do not want to go into details because, as I said, I am not a specialist in religious matters,” he commented.

Congress leaders, however, came out in support of Digvijaya Singh and defended his position.

Senior Congress leader Husain Dalwai described Digvijaya Singh as a devout believer.

“Digvijaya Singh is a man of faith. He also visits temples for darshan. He does not make baseless statements. He is a very serious person. Whatever has happened has deeply hurt him. He regularly visits the temple and offers his prayers there,” Dalwai said.

In another statement, Dalwai accused the BJP of exploiting religion for political purposes.

“They may claim so because they project themselves as the biggest protectors of Hinduism. They may even say that they are using the money to protect the Hindu religion. Their politics is misguided. Religion resides in one’s home and heart, and bringing it onto the streets for political purposes is wrong. Hinduism is a religion of great tolerance, but it is being used for political gains,” he said.

Congress MP Manish Tewari declined to comment directly on Digvijaya Singh’s remarks but said any investigation into the alleged irregularities should be conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

“I have no comment to make on Digvijaya Singh ji’s statement. He is a senior leader of the Congress and is fully capable of responding to any questions or clarifications regarding his remarks. As far as the reports of alleged irregularities in the Ram Mandir matter are concerned, since the verdict on the Ram Mandir was given by the Supreme Court, any enquiry should also be conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court by forming a committee so that a fair and impartial investigation can be ensured and the truth comes out,” Tewari said.

The political controversy erupted after Digvijaya Singh announced on Friday that he would file a lawsuit in a court in Ayodhya seeking the return of the Rs 1.11 lakh he had donated for the construction of the Ram Temple, alleging that the funds had been misappropriated.

Addressing an event organised by the MP Mahila Congress in Bhopal, Singh said he would approach the court instead of the police.

“I have decided to file a lawsuit in Ayodhya stating that the donation I made was misappropriated. They looted it, and therefore it should be returned to me so that I can deposit it into the ‘Ramalaya Trust’. I have no faith in the police because they are controlled by the BJP, so I will not go to the police station. I will approach the court in Ayodhya,” he said.

The Congress veteran said his decision followed the advice of a senior criminal lawyer in Delhi. He added that he would meet his lawyer on July 5 or 6 to prepare the petition before travelling to Ayodhya to file the case.

Singh said he had donated Rs 1.11 lakh directly to the Ram Temple Trust after the 2019 Supreme Court verdict. He claimed that he chose not to contribute through the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) because he did not trust the organisation. He also said that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting that the donation be deposited with the trust and had received an official receipt after making the contribution.

Recalling earlier fundraising campaigns, Singh alleged that there had been no proper accounting of donations collected during the first campaign linked to L.K. Advani’s Rath Yatra.

“We have faith in Lord Ram and the Ram Mandir. We made the donation out of faith in Lord Ram and the desire to see a magnificent temple,” he said.

Singh also announced that he would undertake a nearly 1,000-km padyatra from Ujjain to Ayodhya beginning on October 2, 2026.

Alleging irregularities in another matter, Singh claimed that valuable land near the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain had been allotted to an RSS-linked trust during the tenure of former BJP Chief Minister Sunderlal Patwa. He alleged that the land was now being used for commercial purposes, including the construction of a 100-room hotel, and demanded an investigation into the misuse of donations.

Describing the proposed padyatra as “completely non-political”, Singh invited devotees of Lord Ram and those aggrieved by the alleged misappropriation of Ram Temple donations to join the march. The yatra, he said, would cover 10 to 15 kms every day. He also announced that he would remain away from social media throughout the journey.

–IANS

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