RSS expresses 'grief' over Ram temple donation theft, but avoids finger at trust allies
The Sangh had maintained a deafening silence for nearly a month after the theft allegations surfaced in early June, with fingers pointed towards temple employees believed to have been recruited by trust members.
Hindus may be silent at times and they may appear passive and too soft. But when it comes to emotion; they are second to none. The credibility of the RSS and the entire Sangh Parivar is at stake due to the theft episode with the Ram temple at Ayodhya.
Is it because of one or two individuals ?
And why 'protect' them directly or indirectly ? Why Champat Rai is not castigated publicly or why should law not catch up with him ?
“The meeting expressed grief over the incident... and expressed confidence that the ongoing SIT (special investigation team) and police action, initiated at the request of the Teerth Kshetra Nyas (the temple trust), will reach a decisive turn,” RSS national publicity chief Sunil Ambekar read out a statement.
The carefully drafted statement was issued after the organisation’s three-day annual Prant Pracharak (provincial publicist) meeting in Belagavi, Karnataka.
The delegates and key leaders had discussed the alleged irregularities in counting the offerings from the donation boxes at the Ram temple.
“It was expected of the Teerth Kshetra Nyas to ensure that no such incident occurs in the future which could hurt the reverence and deep faith of all Ram bhakts towards the Ram Mandir.”
This is the second time the RSS has publicly responded to the controversy, which has cast a shadow over its credibility and the sanctity of the Sangh Parivar’s flagship Ram temple project.
The Sangh had maintained a silence for nearly a month after the theft allegations surfaced in early June, with fingers pointed towards temple employees believed to have been recruited by trust members — most of them linked to the Sangh Parivar and all appointed by the Narendra Modi government.
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who is a Hindutva hardliner but not with any RSS background, is reportedly trying to make 'political use' of the episode.
He has threatened stern action against anyone involved, and sources in his police made off-the-record comments about trust members’ possible involvement, the RSS broke its silence.
Both former trust general secretary Champat Rai and senior trustee Anil Mishra have stepped down amid mounting political and public pressure.
Both have long been associated with the RSS. Everyone says Champat Rai may be personally very honest. But that does not cover up the failure as a temple administrator.
The inside story is - his arrogance and autocratic style of functioning could be also factors that led to this kind of situation. Rai has been himself a long associate of RSS and VHP during the early days of temple movement.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Hosabale and 226 delegates from across the country attended the Belagavi meeting. Besides the temple controversy, the organisation discussed issues such as drug abuse and “population imbalance” – a euphemism for an allegedly faster rise in the minority population.
But the ideological head of the Sangh Parivar has refrained from commenting on the possible role of the temple trust leadership or assigning responsibility for the alleged lapses.
The manner a sort of clean chit has been given to Champat Rai has surprised many in the Sangh and the BJP as well.
“The meeting discussed various topics concerning the current scenario, mainly including information regarding the census and the challenges arising from population imbalance,” the statement said.
It said the RSS expressed concern over the “growing ill-effects of drugs” and called for efforts towards de-addiction.
The Congress party has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s continued silence over the alleged temple theft and accused the Centre of shielding the trust leadership.
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