Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab president and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure strict punishment for those found responsible for alleged donation theft incidents linked to the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Arora said the BJP, which he alleged had come to power by invoking sentiments associated with the temple, should ensure that no one found guilty of betraying devotees' faith is spared. Referring to 105 alleged incidents of donation theft, he called for a thorough investigation into the role of senior officials and questioned why accountability should be limited to junior employees.
Arora claimed that more than one lakh Ram devotees from Punjab had written letters to the Prime Minister seeking justice and accountability. He announced the campaign slogan, "Ram devotees' call: Punish donation thieves this time."
Addressing a press conference, the AAP Punjab chief said millions of devotees had contributed their hard-earned money towards the construction of the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya with deep faith and devotion. Any alleged irregularity involving these donations, he said, would amount to a serious betrayal of their trust.
He urged Modi to ensure that anyone found guilty after a proper investigation receives the strictest possible punishment.
Arora said he was raising the issue not merely as the president of AAP Punjab but also as a Ram devotee who understood the concerns of people across the state. He noted that the temple's construction had been celebrated across the country and that devotees had contributed generously from their personal savings to support the project.
Displaying bundles of letters received from different parts of Punjab, Arora said more than one lakh devotees had voluntarily written to the Prime Minister, requesting his intervention to ensure justice. He claimed the letters had come from around 22,000 polling booths across the state.
According to Arora, the letters would be submitted to the Prime Minister as a collective appeal from devotees seeking accountability and strict action against everyone found responsible.
Questioning the scope of accountability, Arora asked why responsibility should end with lower-level employees when serious questions had been raised about senior officials and those overseeing the temple's management.
He said that if donation theft incidents had occurred repeatedly, the role and responsibility of those entrusted with supervising the institution should also be examined as part of a comprehensive investigation.
