NEW DELHI: Karnataka home minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge on Saturday questioned BJP-led central and the UP government’s silence over the alleged misappropriation of Ram Mandir donations.He said that the prime minister should address the issue in his monthly podcast Mann Ki Baat since he had “led the temple’s consecration and inauguration.”“So when is the Prime Minister doing ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on this? The Pran Pratishthapan was done by the Prime Minister, inauguration was done by the Prime Minister. Where is the Prime Minister’s voice now? Where is Yogi Adityanath ji’s voice now?” he said.Referring to UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s remarks urging people not to “play with the emotions of Ram Bhakts”, Priyank Kharge asked who was responsible for hurting those sentiments.Also read:How Ram temple ‘donation theft’ unfolded: 8 arrested, Rs 80 lakh cash recovered; SIT finds counting unit link“I heard his statement yesterday, do not play with the emotions of Ram Bhakts, is what he is saying. Who played with the emotions? Did the Congress, did the SP, did any of the leaders were involved in this? See, your people were involved. You failed to protect the beliefs of people. And I’ve been telling this for over two weeks now. These are the people who have looted in the name of Ram. These are the people who do politics in the name of religion. Nothing can be expected out of them,” he said.The remarks come a day after Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra resigned, taking what they described as moral responsibility following allegations of embezzlement of donations received for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.The resignations followed the registration of a FIR in connection with the alleged misappropriation of temple donations. The case was filed under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh government.
