DEVANAHALLI(BENGALURU): AICC president and LoP in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday trained his guns at the RSS and BJP, saying both organisations looted over Rs 20,000 crore in the name of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
After unveiling a 14-foot bronze statue of the architect of the Indian constitution, Dr B R Ambedkar, at the Bengaluru Rural district administration office, Kharge asked who was involved in the misappropriation of temple donations.
“Who did it? Did the poor commit the theft there? Did the Dalits do it? Did the farmers go and do it? Who did it? People who are part of that dominant society, those from the RSS and BJP, and people who support them, they are the ones who looted,” he said.
He said the RSS and BJP are hypocrites who use faith as a cover for corruption. “Every single day you wake up and chant the name of God, and it is in the very name of God that you are looting.”
He cautioned people to stay alert against those who campaign using religion to mask their actions. “Those who travel from village to village campaigning in the name of religion, in the name of Ram, are the ones committing this looting. So be careful,” he said.
Kharge claimed that a massive amount of looting has taken place under the guise of religious projects, especially in the name of the Ram Temple. “News is coming out that over Rs 20,000 crore have been looted there. The other day, people from Uttar Pradesh were saying that in the name of the Ram Mandir, Rs 20,000 crore rupees worth of gold, silver and silver bricks have been looted,” he alleged.
Kharge suggested that merely placing Ambedkar’s photo or putting garlands on his pictures will not uplift the scheduled castes. “True self respect and the spirit to fight for one’s rights were given to the community by Dr Ambedkar,” he said.
Will protect Buddhist relics in Rajghatta: CM
Bengaluru: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the government will protect Buddhist relics, including a Chaityalaya (prayer hall) and Vihara (monastery) dating back to 4th and 5th centuries CE, excavated at the ruins of a Mahayana Buddhist monastery at Rajaghatta near Doddaballapura.
Following a representation from the Buddhist community, Shivakumar promised that the goverment will form a study committee. “In Rajaghatta, valuable ancient remains of Buddhist culture dating back thousands of years have come to light. I suggest studying this. Teams of officials should be formed to work to preserve the Buddhist culture and heritage of this area,” he said.
For BJP, RSS, Mandir was never about faith: Min
Bengaluru: Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), alleging that both organisations had used the Ram Mandir issue as a means to gain political power and economic benefits.
In a post on X, Kharge alleged that the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had built their “entire political existence” around the Ram Mandir. Referring to the donation misappropriation case,
Kharge accused the BJP and RSS of shielding those involved. He contended that the controversy vindicated what many people had suspected. “For the BJP and RSS, Ram Mandir was never about faith. It was always a power-and-money machine,” he stated.
