Donation theft protest: BJP slams Pappu Yadav over ‘saffron robes’; Opposition hits back

New Delhi: A row erupted after Purnia MP Pappu Yadav wore saffron robes during a protest at the Parliament premises against the embezzlement of donations made at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, with the BJP calling it an “insult to Sanatan” and accusing the Congress and the Samajwadi Party of playing a role in it. The Opposition on its part hit out at the ruling BJP and asked what major action had been taken against the main accused in the donation theft case.

Speaking to IANS within the Parliament complex, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj said: “From the country’s freedom till today, the Congress, and now Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and the entire Opposition have continuously insulted sants, saffron, and Sanatan. The way they tried to insult Sanatan by bringing Lord Ram and donations into their protest and acting like ‘Kalnemi’…the people of the country are watching and will teach them a lesson in the next election.”

Union Minister Giriraj Singh accused the Congress and Samajwadi Party of “dressing up” MP Pappu Yadav as a sadhu and “calling him ‘chanda chor’.”

“They made him wear saffron robes. It is unfortunate for the country and for political parties like the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, which, for the sake of votes, have worked to defame Sanatan. Sanatan will respond to this, and this is an offence that we will never forgive,” he told reporters outside Parliament House.

While maintaining that there is no objection to wearing saffron robes, BJP MP Dinesh Sharma said: “If you wear the attire of a sant and then run around claiming that sants steal money or donations, it is an insult to the tradition.”

“This kind of indecent behaviour cannot take place in the Parliament…Even if you (Pappu Yadav) are with the Congress does not mean you can oppose Sanantan,” he remarked.

BJP MP Brij Lal also said: “This kind of drama is an insult to sants, seers, Hinduism and of all Hindus. Pappu Yadav should remember that the sant community won’t forgive him ever.”

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MP, Pushpendra Saroj defended the Purnia MP, saying: “Pappu Yadav came there dressed as a member of the Ram Temple Trust. The way people associated with the trust have committed theft of offerings at the Ram Temple and no action has been taken against the main accused so far. Keeping this in view, a major protest was held today.”

While commenting on Yadav’s protest, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai pointed guns at the BJP for the embezzlement row.

“The manner in which the BJP and RSS have committed theft in Lord Ram’s court—they misappropriated the money offered to Lord Ram and embezzled funds meant for the land at the holy site. They took a 40 per cent commission for the temple’s construction; what is left? What is the issue now? The world has realised that the BJP rose to power in Lord Ram’s name and yet they ended up misappropriating the very money offered to Lord Ram,” he told IANS.

Responding to their protest at the Parliament premises against the misappropriation of the Ram Temple offerings, Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Dharmendra Yadav said: “We have never tried to insult anyone, nor was it ever our intention, and it can never be so. We all have deep faith and reverence for Lord Shri Ram from the bottom of our hearts.”

“In fact the government should answer what action it has taken (in the donation theft case) since now it has been almost two months that the matter was revealed,” he told IANS.