CHANDIGARH: Ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, the Ram Mandir donation theft has snowballed into a major political issue in the hill state.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Himachal Congress president Vinay Kumar and several state cabinet ministers offered prayers at the Ram temple and Hanuman temple in Shimla on Tuesday.
After offering prayers, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu accused the BJP of politicising Lord Ram and said that any irregularity in donations made in the Ayodhya Temple of Lord Ram is not merely financial wrongdoing but amounts to 'Theft of Faith' of millions of devotees.
He added that those responsible for the alleged irregularities in the donations made in the name of Lord Ram should introspect.
"Almost everyone, including me, made donations towards the construction of the temple,’’ he said.
Sukhu said, "We prayed to Lord Rama to show the right path to the people who collected donations in the name of Lord Rama and in the name of religion. It is an emotional issue for every Hindu, and Congress would stand up against the fraud. The BJP seems to believe in 'Ram naam japna, chanda-chadwa apna,' he said.
Sukhu said, "A true devotee of Lord Rama will never use his name for politics.’’
BJP retorted, alleging that people have already certified Congress as 'Anti-Ram'.
Himachal Pradesh BJP President Dr Rajeev Bindal, after the core committee meeting of the party, alleged that Congress has a long history of opposing the construction of the Ram Temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram.
"They even contested the issue in courts and resisted the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The party pursued a policy of appeasement at the cost of the religious sentiments of millions of devotees,’’ he added.
Bindal further stated that the Congress leaders' visit to the Ram Temple reflects political compulsion rather than genuine faith.
He said Lord Ram is a symbol of faith and devotion for the people of India, whereas Congress has historically considered the issue as one of political convenience.
He also alleged that Congress cannot erase its history of opposing the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the actions taken against Ram devotees during that period.
He claimed that the people of the country have not forgotten such events and are fully aware of the Congress party's changing political narrative.
Responding to the Chief Minister's assertion that Congress would return to power in 2027, Bindal said the same electorate that rejected Congress in the recent Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Body elections would also decide the outcome of the assembly elections.
He alleged that the Congress government's much-publicised guarantees have remained largely unfulfilled, including promises related to financial assistance for women, free electricity and procurement of milk and cow dung.
Instead, he claimed, the burden on the common people has increased while development has slowed.
Bindal said the BJP's objective is not merely to attain political power but to serve as the voice of every section of society.
He said the Core Group has resolved to intensify organisational activities, strengthen public outreach and launch a series of mass movements to expose the failures of the Congress government.
He also said that issues related to the welfare, development and good governance of Himachal Pradesh.