NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP) for "politicising" the issue of alleged embezzlement of offerings made at Ayodhya's Ram Temple, alleging that these are the same people "who opened fire on 'karsevaks'" in 1992.
Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament House, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said: "The kind of politics the Samajwadi Party is attempting over the issue of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya is highly condemnable in itself. It is very clear that the government is handling the matter with complete sensitivity and caution. The issue is being dealt with according to the directions of the Supreme Court."
"I want to remind those who are still doing politics over this issue, these are the same people who used to say that Ayodhya and Lord Ram never existed...these are the same people who opened fire on the 'karsevaks'," the BJP MP alleged.
Taking the criticism further, Trivedi added: "Those who insulted Ayodhya and turned the Saryu river 'red' with the blood of the Ram 'bhakts', when they say that they are stressed (about the donation theft), citizens know that they (Samajwadi Party members) are actually happy because their agenda is complete eradication of the Hindu Sanatan dharma."
"These are the same people who used to tear copies of Shri Ramcharitmanas a few years back," the BJP MP also remarked while alleging that the Samajwadi Party members are now pretending to be the followers of Lord Ram.
"This is not devotion but dishonesty," he added.
Meanwhile, SP MP Awadhesh Prasad carried on with the party's allegations that there has been "large-scale theft" of offerings made at the Ram Temple.
"In fact, offerings have been stolen from the initial phase of the temple construction period, this is not theft but robbery. Members of the BJP and RSS have robbed crores of devotees who have faith and worship Lord Ram," he told IANS.
While recalling that SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav was the one who first made the alleged embezzlement public, Prasad said: "Unfortunately, the Yogi Adityanath's government is trying to protect those responsible (for the misappropriation)."
