Accusing the BJP of harming India's global image, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said the alleged Ram temple donation embezzlement had "angered" Sanatan Dharma followers worldwide, particularly those who made donations.
"The news of theft of offerings, donations and contributions from the Ayodhya temple has spread across the world. Followers of Sanatan Dharma living in different countries are ashamed because of the disrepute caused by the BJP and its associates. They are also hurt because many of them had donated to the temple or personally offered contributions," he said in a post on X.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister claimed the country was suffering a loss of reputation because of the alleged actions of the "BJP's irreligious elements."
Yadav also claimed that investor confidence was being affected by the controversy.
"Investors across the world are withdrawing because they feel that if a government cannot safeguard even donations made to its own deity, how can it protect our investments tomorrow? The BJP government has completely lost its religious, cultural, political and economic credibility," he said.
In a separate post on X, Yadav rejected allegations levelled against him by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, who had linked him to Ramshankar alias Tinnu Yadav, an accused in the alleged temple donation theft case.
Describing the allegations as "false", Yadav said the BJP had made a mistake by relying on people whose "personal record has historically been discredited."
"The BJP committed a mistake by getting false allegations made through people whose personal record has historically been infamous and whose deeply corrupt social and political image is such that even leaders of their own party do not want them around," he said.
He further alleged that such individuals were being used merely as "loudspeakers" to spread lies.
"They have neither their own voice nor their own ideas. They are merely instruments in the hands of others. They have no personal credibility," Yadav said.
Several donors and individuals claimed that costly articles, including a gold Ramcharitmanas, silver bricks and other precious gifts, were missing or had not been properly acknowledged, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to constitute an SIT to probe the allegations.
The SIT has arrested eight accused in connection with the alleged embezzlement of cash offerings.
Amid mounting scrutiny, the Trust on Monday accepted the resignations of its general secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra. It appointed Krishna Mohan as interim general secretary at a Trust meeting.
(With inputs from PTI)