'Fake Ram devotees calling themselves Sanatanis': Union Min Giriraj Singh on Ayodhya temple donation case

Patna (Bihar) [India], July 4 : Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday targeted the Opposition, alleging that some "fake" devotees of Lord Ram had started calling themselves "Sanatanis", and said the alleged Ayodhya Ram Temple donation embezzlement theft had hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community.
Speaking to reporters in Patna, Singh said that strict action would be taken against those found guilty in the alleged embezzlement case, asserting that no accused person would be spared.
"These days, some 'fake' devotees of Lord Ram have started calling themselves 'Sanatanis'... The Hindu society is hurt by the theft incident. The government there is ready to take action. No guilty person will be spared... The Sanatanis of the country need to be cautious of such fake people," he said.
The Union Minister also targeted the Congress and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, claiming they had never accepted the existence of Lord Ram.
"Be it Congress or Akhilesh Yadav, they have never accepted the existence of Lord Ram... Today, these people are becoming devotees of Ram... The government is ready to punish the guilty," he told reporters.
The Ram Mandir donation embezzlement controversy began after an FIR was registered on June 25 over the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. The Trust has maintained that it is committed to a fair investigation and to preserving the faith of devotees.
Earlier on Wednesday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp attack on the BJP over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, accusing the party of betraying both "Lord Ram" and Constitutional values.
Speaking at a press conference, Yadav invoked the idea of "Maryada" (boundary) and alleged that the BJP is only concerned about the flow of donations.
"The Bharatiya Janata Party is betraying Lord Ram. The first name of righteousness (Maryada) is Lord Shri Ram, and the second is the Constitution; BJP has betrayed both. The danger for the BJP is that donations or charity might stop," he said.
On Friday, Veteran Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh placed a poster outside his residence stating, "entry prohibited for donation thieves" and reiterated his allegations of misuse of donations collected at Ayodhya Ram Temple.
Singh said that he had made a donation for the Ram Temple and would travel to Ayodhya to file a lawsuit before the court seeking the return of his donation.
"There were two fundraising campaigns for Ram Temple. The first was when LK Advani undertook the Rath Yatra. I had donated at that time as well because I have faith in the Ram Temple and in Lord Ram. However, till date, there has been no accounting of the funds collected during the first donation drive. Then, after the Supreme Court's verdict, another donation campaign was launched by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. I did not donate to the VHP because I have no trust in them," said Digvijaya Singh.
He added that Champat Rai, who was made the key functionary of the trust, allegedly appointed outsiders on salaries of Rs 10,000-15,000, and every day, 10 to 20 per cent of the cash bundles from the donations would go missing. Even bank officials and employees were allegedly involved. This is a grave betrayal of faith in Lord Ram.
"I have decided that I will file a claim in Ayodhya itself, stating that the donation I made has been misused and looted. Therefore, my donation should be returned to me, and I will deposit it into the trust that we have established. I will approach the court. What faith can one have in the police? The police are under the BJP," the Congress leader said.
Meanwhile, Police impounded a car belonging to Avinash Shukla, another accused arrested in the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement case.
The vehicle was recovered from Kaushalpuri Colony and has been kept at the Ram Janmabhoomi Police Station.
According to police, Avinash Shukla was sent to the Ayodhya District Jail on Friday night following his arrest.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been granted a 15-day extension to complete its investigation. The extension has been given to enable the SIT to widen the scope of its probe and conduct a comprehensive inquiry into all aspects of the case.