Rajya Sabha adjourned till noon amid Opposition uproar over alleged donation theft at Ram Temple

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 pm on Tuesday following uproar amid clashes between Opposition and Treasury benches over the alleged theft of cash and other valuables from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Opposition parties led by the Congress raised the issue of alleged theft of cash and valuables donated by devotees to the Ram Temple, which was vociferously countered by the Treasury benches.

The two sides traded barbs at each other before Chairman C P Radhakrishnan adjourned the proceedings till noon.

Soon after listed papers were laid on the table of the House, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of theft of donations allegedly by members of the Trust formed by the government for the construction and management of Ram Mandir.

He asked why government investigative agencies—the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and others — are not probing the alleged theft by members of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra (SRJBTK).

The Trust was formed by the government and was given 70 acres of land, he said. Even before he could complete his remarks, the Chairman allowed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to speak.

The Minister said the permission should not be given to raise an issue which the Opposition parties have been repeatedly trying to raise.

The Congress and SP have been enacting drama on the issue even outside the House, he said.

DMK's Tiruchi Siva sought to raise the arrest of Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of former Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, but the Chairman said this was a state issue and cannot be raised in Parliament.

Kharge, meanwhile, pressed again for a probe and the government's response into the allegations of theft, saying the issue concerned the faith of crores of people.

Rijiju alleged that the Congress party and the Samajwadi Party have always "abused Lord Ram" and "opposed Ram Temple construction."

"They are now doing drama on chanda chori," he said. "They are Bhagwan Ram ke Virodhi (opponents)".

He went on to state that the opposition MPs wore black bands to protest against construction of Ram Temple and they should first apologise.

"Bhagwan Ram ko gali diya... unhe maafi mangni chahiye (They abused Lord Ram... they should apologize)," he said amid a strong counter from the opposition.

Opposition and Treasury bench MPs moved into the front row and traded barbs at each other. They shouted slogans before the Chairman adjourned the proceedings till noon.