'Betrayal of Hindus by BJP': Uddhav Thackeray on Ram Temple donation 'theft'

NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday invoked the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and accused the BJP of "betraying Hindus of the country."He also vowed that the Shiv Sena (UBT) would lead protests to ensure a "BJP-mukt Ram.""Real Hindutva teaches humanity. We reject your (BJP's) Hindutva of looting temples. We want a 'BJP-mukt Ram,' and Shiv Sena (UBT) will lead such protests," Thackeray said at a rally in the Yavatmal-Washim Lok Sabha constituency.The constituency is represented by Sanjay Deshmukh, one of six MPs who recently left the Shiv Sena (UBT) to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP.Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray also referred to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut’s claim that the party had not received a receipt for the Rs 1 crore it had donated to the Ram Temple trust."We had given several silver bricks before the construction of the Ram Temple. These silver bricks have been stolen. What happened to the money given by Shiv Sena?" the former Maharashtra chief minister asked.Calling it an "insult" to Hindutva, he added, "This is not only a betrayal of Shiv Sena, but also of Hindus in the country."A former BJP ally, Uddhav Thackeray has been frequently accused by the saffron party of betraying Hindutva following their 2019 split. He later joined hands with the Congress and NCP, long-time political and ideological rivals of his party.An FIR, lodged at the instance of trust member Krishna Mohan, was registered based on the recommendations of a preliminary report by a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government after allegations of misappropriation surfaced on June 7.The eight arrested individuals were involved in counting cash and valuables received as donations at the temple. After their arrest, they were remanded to judicial custody till June 29. Investigators have so far recovered Rs 79.85 lakh.(With PTI inputs)Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.