Mumbai, July 10 (IANS) Congress Legislative Party leader, Vijay Wadettiwar, on Friday strongly opposed several provisions of the ‘Shri Ram Mandir Devasthan Trust Management, Ramtek Bill’ in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, demanding that the legislation be referred to a Joint Committee for a comprehensive review.

Expressing concern over political interference in religious institutions, Wadettiwar argued that a sacred and historic site like the Ramtek Temple should be protected from hasty decisions.

He firmly opposed the inclusion of public representatives and political figures on the temple’s Trust Board. Instead, he suggested that the Board should comprise of devout, service-oriented, and unblemished individuals.

Wadettiwar questioned the Maharashtra government’s urgency in pushing the legislation on the final day of the three-week Assembly session.

He pointed out that the current court-appointed committee has been functioning smoothly without any allegations of mismanagement or irregularities. “What is the necessity of appointing a new Trust Board now? Bringing politics into temple management shakes the faith of the devotees,” he stated.

Drawing parallels to recent allegations of financial irregularities and theft at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Congress leader emphasised that such incidents hurt devotees’ sentiments. He stressed the need for absolute transparency and accountability, arguing that public donations must be handled with the utmost responsibility.

Raising a serious objection to the provision of granting financial allowances to Trust members, Wadettiwar asked, “Why should members receive allowances from the donations made by devotees? Serving at Lord Ram’s temple should be driven by a pure sense of devotion and service.”

He further demanded strict eligibility criteria for the trustees, insisting that anyone with even a single criminal case, corruption charge, or record of moral turpitude must be disqualified from joining the Board. To drive his point home, he quoted former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying, “‘If a guard dog doesn’t bark at thieves, it means it knows the thieves’.”

Emphasising that the integrity of the appointees is what matters most, Wadettiwar noted that while critics were being dismissively labeled with derogatory terms like “hired people” or “dogs,” he was simply fulfilling his duty to present a firm stance on an important legislative matter.

The Ramtek Temple represents thousands of years of tradition and historic heritage. Highlighting this, Wadettiwar noted that the primary focus should be on the temple’s conservation, preservation, and reconstruction, completely devoid of political meddling.

He specifically opposed the appointment of MLAs, ministers, or mayors to the Board. “MLAs and ministers remain preoccupied with their respective constituencies. In such a scenario, who will monitor the daily administration of the temple? Who will take responsibility?” he questioned.

Concluding his address, Wadettiwar stated that Lord Ram is a symbol of faith and culture. Any system established in the deity’s name must be rooted in transparency and public trust rather than politics. He urged the House to send the Bill to a Joint Committee so that suggestions from all relevant stakeholders could be thoroughly evaluated to safeguard the faith of the devotees.

–IANS

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