Ram Temple offering row: Govts’ silence fuelling apprehensions of Sanatanis: Akhilesh

Lucknow: Slamming the BJP over alleged theft of offerings at Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday questioned the silence maintained by the BJP govts in Uttar Pradesh and at the Centre, stating that it was only adding to the apprehensions of Sanatanis worldwide.“The govt at Lucknow is mum. Drones and binoculars of the govt at the Centre are missing from action. This atmosphere of ambiguity is adding to the apprehensions among the Sanatani community across the world,” Akhilesh said on Tuesday.On Sunday, Akhilesh cited media reports to point out misappropriation of crores of rupees received as donations from pilgrims at Ram Temple in Ayodhya. While Ayodhya police maintained that it had not received any such written complaint, the Ram Temple Trust on Sunday stated that a routine audit of offerings was underway and “nothing worth mentioning” had been found till then.“No one can make out what the (Ram Temple) Trust wants to say. News reports of individuals involved in embezzlement being detained (by police) are being aired. Initially police remain mum, but later, under some unknown pressures, issue a denial. Looking at the widespread resentment brewing among people on the issue, the BJP people are tongue-tied,” Akhilesh said in a statement issued on Tuesday.The SP chief said like all previous occasions, the partners of BJP have washed their hands of the criminal activity and have gone underground. Akhilesh demanded that people playing with the sentiments of Sanatanis must be exposed.“People who were trying to save those misappropriating temple offerings must also be exposed,” Akhilesh demanded.