Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday lashed out at the BJP over the Ram Temple offering theft case and alleged, “For BJP, donation comes first, then the nation.”
“The BJP’s focus is on donations, not the nation and for them, it is ‘Donation First.’ It is unimaginable that people would trifle with faith and reverence in this manner—that such a massive question mark would arise regarding the temple of Maryada Purushottam Lord Ram,” he said.
Addressing a press conference in the Sangam city during his two days visit on Sunday, the SP president said, “The entire country is asking questions and what could be a bigger issue than this? The aim seems to be to ensure that the issue of paper leaks gets overshadowed by the controversy over the theft of donations, so that no one questions the government. Anyone who does raise questions faces action from government agencies. Had there been adequate safety measures, so many children would not have lost their lives in the Lucknow fire incident.”
He said question paper leaks have plunged the futures of children from poor families into darkness. With no proper teaching taking place in schools, children are forced to rely on coaching centers, yet the government is pressuring these centers to operate according to its dictates. Coaching institutes face punitive action if they even discuss the paper leaks.
He remarked that neither Dharm (religion) nor Sharm (Shame) exists in the BJP’s vocabulary. Genuine saints are being humiliated. Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) are shutting down in the Chief Minister’s own district, and a large number of primary schools have closed.
Akhilesh Yadav said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has set a record for visits to the Ayodhya Ram Mandir—visiting more frequently than anyone else possibly could. Yet, despite so many visits, a theft worth crores occurred. This is a classic case of “darkness beneath the lamp.”
“If theft can occur where the Chief Minister visits so often, one can easily imagine the state of affairs in the tehsils, police stations, and districts he does not visit—and the extent of looting, exploitation, and corruption taking place there,” he quipped.
Akhilesh Yadav said that the theft continued while the CCTV cameras were switched off, leaving no one the wiser. There is collusion involved at every level, from top to bottom. This is an insult to Sanatan Dharma, and devotees of Lord Ram across the country feel cheated.
He remarked that the theft was committed while the CCTV cameras were turned off to avoid detection, yet Lord Ram Himself exposed the crime.