Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and a member of parliament from Hyderabad, has sharply criticised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s government over allegations of embezzlement of devotees’ donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, India.
Speaking at a public rally in Bijnor in western Uttar Pradesh on Monday, Owaisi alleged that if there were a Muslim member on the Ram temple trust, he would by now have been killed in an “encounter” and a bulldozer run through his house.
“If there were a Muslim on the trust, he would have been killed in an encounter, his house razed and the case closed,” Owaisi said. “But the current accused are roaming freely.” He also questioned the action taken by law-enforcement agencies against those accused of embezzling the Ram temple’s donations, alleging that strict measures were not being taken against the accused in time and that police were not even moving to take them into custody. His remarks drew loud applause and cheers from supporters at the rally.
The Ram temple that now stands in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, was built on the site once occupied by the historic 16th-century Babri Masjid. The mosque’s demolition by Hindu hardliners in 1992 set off communal violence across India in which about 2,000 people were killed, most of them Muslims.
After a long legal battle, the way was cleared for a Ram temple on the site, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the temple’s consecration ceremony two and a half years ago. Many Hindus believe it to be the birthplace of Lord Ram.
But the temple, regarded as a symbol of religious sentiment and faith, is now at the centre of attention over allegations of the embezzlement of donations and valuable gifts. Over the past month, allegations have surfaced that large amounts of donations and valuable gifts given by devotees were embezzled, with several people linked to the trust that runs the temple at the centre of the claims.
A report by the Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera said police had begun investigating after the allegations became public and had already arrested several people. The matter has also generated wide political debate, particularly ahead of upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Brajesh Kumar, a devotee, told Al Jazeera: “Our faith has been betrayed. Those who won people’s trust in the name of religion are the very ones exploiting that faith to serve their own ends.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report