Mumbai, July 14 (IANS) The Shiv Sena(UBT) on Tuesday launched an attack on the Central government over the alleged multi-crore donation theft at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, pointing out the silence of top leadership and labelling the recent expression of regret by the Ram Temple Construction Committee Chairman, Nripendra Mishra, as a mere “farce”.

In a scathing editorial published in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the party highlighted recent remarks by Nripendra Mishra, who termed the donation embezzlement case a “blot” that has left everyone feeling deeply insulted.

The editorial noted that Mishra recently put the BJP in a tight spot by admitting that the firing on Kar Sevaks in Ayodhya during Mulayam Singh Yadav’s tenure as Chief Minister was not a direct government order. However, on the temple theft issue, the paper argued that Mishra’s personal expressions of regret are insufficient given the scale of the scam. Over the past 12–13 years, an estimated Rs 14,000 crore was collected in the name of the Ram Temple project, with no public accountability.

The editorial alleged that the donation theft alone amounts to at least Rs 500 crore, with significant amounts of gold, silver, and jewellery missing. “If valuable offerings made to Lord Ram have been stolen, the temple trust’s treasurer and board of trustees should have been the first to face criminal charges. Instead, Mishra merely let out a whimper of regret.”

The Thackeray camp claimed that the theft has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community, creating an atmosphere in which “Lord Ram no longer resides in Ayodhya”. According to the editorial, this has led to a massive 75 per cent drop in pilgrim footfall.

The editorial detailed the direct economic blow dealt to local businesses in Ayodhya. “Darshan waiting times have been reduced from four hours down to just 30-45 minutes due to thinning crowds. Hotel occupancy has plummeted to just 25 per cent, causing severe anxiety among investors who are building a hundred new hotels in the area. Street vendors selling garlands and prasad, who previously earned Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000 daily, are now struggling to make even Rs 1,000. E-rickshaw drivers and local restaurants have witnessed a massive drop in daily business, severely damaging the town’s religious tourism ecosystem,’’ said the editorial.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not expressed any personal feeling over the incident, given that he and BJP-aligned Hindutva organisations took absolute credit for the temple’s construction and the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony.

The editorial concluded by asserting that the ongoing police investigation and arrests are nothing but a “cover-up”.

It expressed the public’s disappointment that PM Modi did not address the theft in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio programme, apologise to Lord Ram, or honour the memory of the martyred Kar Sevaks.

By shielding the ‘main thieves’ who hold the keys to the temple, the editorial alleged that the credibility of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar has been completely shattered.

–IANS

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