UDUPI: Sri Vishwaprasanna Theertha of Sri Pejavar Mutt, Udupi, who is also one of the trustees of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust set up by the Union government for the construction and management of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, has hit out at former CM H D Kumaraswamy for his ‘Nazi’ remark on the donation drive.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, the seer urged Kumaraswamy not to make any accusation without proof. The seer said both the RSS and the Trust cannot and will not give any such instruction to cadres to compulsorily collect donations for the Ram temple.
Kumaraswamy on Monday had tweeted: "It appears that those collecting donations for the construction of Ram Mandir have been separately marking the houses of those who paid money and those who did not. This is similar to what Nazis did in Germany during the regime of Hitler when lakhs of people lost their lives. Historians say that RSS took birth at the same time when Nazi Party was founded in Germany."
The seer said the response to the fund collection drive has been impressive. In fact, there is a shortage of coupons and receipts books printed to keep the entire fund collection drive transparent. “If at all the list of households has been readied, it is to facilitate volunteers to return to those houses and collect funds later with receipt,” the seer said, adding the former CM has no proof that the list has been readied with the intent he said it was for.
About CM Siddaramaiah refusing to donate for the Ram temple at Ayodhya, the seer said the trust is not forcing anyone to donate for the project and people may or may not contribute. Refusing to react to Siddaramaiah’s comment that the site of the Ram temple is disputed, the seer said the apex court has ruled on this matter. “I doubt those people's respect for the nation who disrespect the verdict of the apex court,” he said.