India, Aug. 3 -- The Congress on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the BJP over the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying not everyone in the BJP is a "chhanda chor" but all the "chhanda chors" are in the ruling party. Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari claimed that the "theft" at the Ram Mandir was not limited to just the donations but it had begun as early as the time of the 'Shila Pujan'. "I hail from the Awadh region myself, and between 1985 and 1990, I served as the Tourism minister in the UP government. I have witnessed the Ram Janmabhoomi movement from very close quarters," Tiwari said at a press conference here. Also Read - Gujarat: 22 children die of Chandipura virus this monsoon "I am not saying that everyone in the BJP is a 'chhanda chor', but all the 'chhanda chors' are in the BJP," the Congress leader said. "When the movement to build the Ram Mandir was underway, the slogan was: 'Ram Lalla hum ayenge; mandir wahin banayenge'. Later, when the BJP formed the government in Uttar Pradesh, I asked when the temple would be built. The reply was: 'When the BJP comes to power at the Centre as well'," he said. "When Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government was formed at the Centre, I asked the same question again. The reply was: 'Just wait for now'. The truth is this - The BJP never wanted the Ram Mandir to be built in Ayodhya; it only wanted to keep alive the Ram Mandir issue," he alleged. Also Read - CJP hails SC clarification on FIRs against NEET protesters The truth is that the BJP did not build the Ram Mandir; it was constructed following a Supreme Court order, Tiwari said. The Lok Sabha elections coincided with the time of the Ram Mandir's construction, and for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the election was more important than the temple; consequently, he performed the consecration ceremony of an incomplete temple - an inauspicious act, Tiwari said. The Shankaracharyas were not invited to the consecration ceremony, even though the rituals should have been performed by them, he said. Prime Minister Modi took personal charge of the entire process, and every single member of the temple trust was appointed based on the his personal preference, Tiwari alleged. "If Modi ji has claimed the credit for this, how can he absolve himself of the sins committed by the very people to whom he entrusted the responsibility?" he said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.