Lucknow

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the BJP government over alleged irregularities in donations to the Ayodhya Ram Temple, calling it a "Mahapaap (great sin)" in Sanatan Dharma and demanding a complete restructuring of the Temple Trust.

After meeting with the spiritual leader Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati at the latter's programme in Lucknow, Yadav told reporters, "In Ayodhya, they have twisted the dignity of Lord Shri Ram for their own selfish interests. They have committed 'Mahapaap'. In our Sanatan Dharma, there is no sin greater than stealing from religious offerings. Every village and household is discussing how they handled the donations and offerings. Our Hindu religion and Sanatani people are very emotional; they have been deeply hurt by this."

The SP chief was dismissive of the government-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter, describing it as a "whitewash" and questioning its credibility, claiming one of its members faces fraud charges under Section 420 of the criminal code.

"What is this SIT (Special Investigation Team)? It's just a whitewash ('Lipa-poti'). Who formed this SIT? I've heard that one of its members is himself facing charges of fraud (Section 420). How can such a person investigate? This is a larger issue involving high-ranking BJP leaders," he said.

Yadav alleged that the controversy involved the printing of "fake donation coupons" by a senior BJP leader. "There was a case regarding a big BJP leader printing fake donation coupons/receipts. I won't take names, but the layers are peeling off now. This not only ruins the country's image but will also stop international investment," he added.

Yadav demanded the temple trust treasurer's resignation over the alleged scandal, accused authorities of targeting the opposition while ignoring his party's complaints, and sought the release of Call Detail Records (CDRs), claiming they would implicate mostly BJP members.

"The Treasurer should also resign because they are also implicated. They file FIRs against the opposition, but the opposition's FIRs aren't registered. I've heard some people are now backing off. They say they called the temple premises 980 times. All CDRs (Call Detail Records) should be made public. If they are, 99.9% of those involved will turn out to be BJP members. The panic within the BJP has already started; many are already trying to contact us," he told reporters.

"The Prime Minister is silent on these issues. When so many questions have been raised against the Temple Trust, it needs to be completely restructured. A new CEO should be appointed. It's not about one person; the entire structure needs to change. This has become a 'Delhi vs. Lucknow' fight. If the central agencies (ED, CBI, Income Tax) were truly independent, they would have investigated the walls and bundles of cash emerging from people's homes instead of targeting our workers," SP Chief added.

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Meanwhile, the SP chief said he had met the Shankaracharya, who is "deeply concerned about Gau Mata and is seeking a way to ensure she receives national honour."