'If govt can't protect Ram Temple, how will it protect others?': Congress, BJP react to alleged Ram Mandir donation theft

The alleged embezzlement of donations from the Ram Mandir sparked a political exchange outside the Assam Legislative Assembly on Monday, July 13, with the Congress targeting the BJP-led government over the incident, while a BJP legislator condemned the alleged theft and reiterated the party's commitment to inclusive development.
 

Speaking to reporters, Congress MLA Dr Joy Prakash Das questioned the government's ability to safeguard religious institutions, alleging that the incident reflected a serious failure on its part.
 

"The government failed to provide proper security to the Ram Temple. Money was stolen from the Ram Temple. Nothing worse than this can happen in this country. The issue on which these people won the elections—if they couldn't secure the same temple, then how will they be able to ensure security for the rest of the temples in the country?" Das said.
 

Responding to the controversy, BJP MLA Chakradhar Gogoi condemned the alleged theft, saying donations offered at temples must be used only for religious purposes.
 

"The theft of donations is wrong and such things shouldn't happen. The money which is offered to God should be used for that purpose only," Gogoi said.
 

Commenting on the demand for a Hindu Rashtra, Gogoi said India is a diverse country where people of different faiths coexist.
 

"As India is a diverse country, it is not possible to make it a Hindu Rashtra. But 80 per cent of the population belongs to the Hindu community, so we have to speak for ourselves. At the same time, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', we have to work for everyone's development," he added.
 

The remarks were made outside the Assam Legislative Assembly during the ongoing Budget Session, where legislators have been addressing a range of national and state issues besides the legislative business.

(Inputs from ANI)