Nagpur: In what was his first reaction to the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple donation theft, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, on Saturday, just uttered “Ram Ram” before moving on.
He reacted when asked if some people are undermining faith in Lord Shri Ram amidst the Rs 7-crore embezzlement controversy, as reported by Republic TV.
An SIT has now been set up to probe the alleged embezzlement of Rs 7-7.5 crore worth of donations given to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya,
Uttar Pradesh.
On Friday, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale expressed deep anguish over the theft from donation boxes, describing the incident as a grave wound to the sentiments of Ram devotees and Hindu society at large.
Hosabale, in a strongly worded statement, said that the “highly condemnable” incident has hurt the reverence of millions, urging the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and authorities to treat the matter with utmost seriousness and plug all operational loopholes.
“The unfortunate incident of theft from the donation boxes placed in the Shri Ram Lalla Temple in Ayodhya has wounded the sentiments and reverence of the entire society and Ram devotees, and we are all hurt by this incident,” Hosabale said.
On behalf of the RSS, he also appealed to the entire Hindu society to demonstrate necessary patience and restraint in this “difficult moment and to foil the conspiracies of anti-Hindu, anti-national forces who seek to exploit this unfortunate incident to malign Hindu dharma and society.”
Several people have been arrested in this connection and trustees have been questioned by the SIT set up by the Uttar Pradesh government.