AAP National Convenor and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday visited Ayodhya, where he offered prayers at Hanuman Garhi and later had darshan of Lord Ram at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.
Addressing a press conference in Ayodhya alongside Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, Kejriwal alleged that a massive robbery” had taken place in the Shri Ram Temple and accused those responsible of being protected.
He claimed that people across the country believe justice would only be served when the “bigwigs” involved in the alleged scam are awarded the death penalty.
Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kejriwal said the party had created the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and had handpicked its General Secretary, Champat Rai. He questioned why no FIR had been registered against Rai if any wrongdoing had occurred, alleging that only lower-level individuals were being targeted while those higher up were being shielded.
Kejriwal further alleged that the FIR registered in connection with the alleged Ram Temple donation scam was merely an eyewash. He claimed that such a large-scale scam could not have been carried out solely by junior employees over a long period and asserted that the links of the alleged wrongdoing extended to higher levels.
He also accused authorities of attempting to protect influential individuals while placing the entire blame on lower-level staff.
He said that Lord Ram, in obedience to the command of his father, Maharaja Dasharatha, renounced power and accepted a 14-year exile in the forest.
“It is by invoking the name of that very epitome of righteousness, Shri Ram, that the donation-thief party came to power, and no sooner had it ascended than it made the Ram Mandir a victim of its lust for money," he said.
According to the AAP, Kejriwal performed worship and rituals at Hanuman Garhi and received blessings from the saints. Sharing his experience after visiting the Ram Temple, he described the occasion as a matter of immense fortune and said the grand temple is a symbol of the faith and pride of crores of Hindus.
