Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 5 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) on Sunday held a "Ram Raksha" protest at the Hanuman Temple in Mumbai's Dadar over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Speaking to ANI during the protest, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey demanded that the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra be dissolved.
"After a struggle spanning 500 years, we secured a temple for Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. There was immense zeal and enthusiasm among everyone. However, when we heard reports of theft and dacoity at Lord Ram's temple and that anti-social elements had infiltrated the premises, we decided to launch a movement. We resolved to ignite the spirit of protecting Ram," Dubey said.
"The entire Trust must be dissolved, and all the guilty parties must be punished," he added.
UBT Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had launched the protest in Mumbai and performed "Ram Raksha Maha Aarti" at the Dadar Hanuman Temple.
Ahead of the protest, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut had said the agitation would begin in front of the Hanuman Temple in Dadar and later be expanded across Maharashtra.
He said that there were irregularities in Ram Temple donations and claimed that offerings made by devotees had been stolen.
"The lies that have been spread regarding the Ram Mandir include that there has been theft of donations in the temple and theft of offerings. The ornaments of Lord Shri Ram and Mother Sita have been stolen. Mother Sita's mangalsutra has also been stolen. I want to tell you that devotees had offered a gold mangalsutra to Mother Sita. Even the golden Ramcharitmanas has been stolen. Earrings, bangles, and all other ornaments of Lord Shri Ram have also been stolen," he said.
Raut further added that those involved in the theft belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party itself.
"Those who committed the theft are also from the Bharatiya Janata Party itself. They are all the BJP's 'Mohammed Ghaznavi'," he said.
In a development in the probe, on Saturday, police sources said the Ayodhya Police had obtained court permission to interrogate five of the eight accused currently lodged in jail in connection with the Ram Mandir donation theft case.
The accused - Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey and Manish Yadav - are scheduled to be questioned inside the jail premises, with their statements to be formally recorded. Investigators may later seek their custody for further interrogation based on the findings of the questioning, police sources added. (ANI)
