Media Release
Mangaluru, July 15: The alleged theft of offerings from the Ram Mandir hundi has triggered a fresh political controversy, with Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Campaign Committee president Vinay Kumar Sorake accusing the RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of hurting the faith of crores of Lord Rama devotees.
Addressing the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Campaign Committee meeting held at the Congress Bhavan in Mallikatte, Mangaluru, on Wednesday, Sorake alleged that the issue had caused deep disappointment among devotees and questioned the silence of central investigating agencies.
“Regarding this case, the Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate (ED), and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are silent,” he alleged.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reference to himself as a “chowkidar” (watchman), Sorake said, “The theft has taken place through the trustees appointed by the Prime Minister, who are the ‘sub-chowkidars’.” He also sarcastically remarked that the Prime Minister had not referred to the Ram Mandir case even in his monthly radio programme, ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
Focusing on the party’s future organisational plans, Sorake said the Campaign Committee must play an active role from the booth level to the district level, particularly in view of the upcoming local body elections and strengthening of party activities.
He called upon members of the District Campaign Committee to ensure that the Congress government’s welfare initiatives and the five guarantee schemes reach every household effectively.
He also urged Congress workers to remain vigilant and responsible during the voter list revision process and ensure that the names of eligible voters are not removed.
KPCC Campaign Committee chief coordinator Sudheer Kumar Maroli said an awareness campaign would be launched during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, warning that those who allegedly stole the Ram Mandir hundi could also attempt to “steal the voting rights” of citizens.
“Be alert” will be the theme of the campaign, he said.
Maroli alleged that the hundi theft case had a direct connection with the Prime Minister’s Office and claimed that the Ram Mandir Trust included RSS and BJP office-bearers.
“The group has looted the money, gold, silver and cash offered by devotees to God,” he alleged, questioning why BJP leaders had remained silent on the matter.
During the meeting, appointment order letters were handed over to newly appointed Assembly-level Campaign Committee presidents Haider Kairangala, Vasanth Karnad, Santosh Louis D’Costa and Ramananda Poojary.
Appointment letters were also issued to block presidents Mohammed Mustafa, Suresh Devadiga, Kumar Poojary, Yusuf Ullayibettu, Arsha Shetty, Uday Kundar and Asif Ahmed.
After handing over the appointment letters, Dakshina Kannada District Congress Campaign Committee president Denis D’Silva stressed the need to give greater importance to party organisation and strengthen campaign committees at the district and block levels.
He instructed that campaign committees should be constituted soon in every block and that workers should be organised right up to the booth level.
The programme was presided over by Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee president K Harish Kumar.
Former MLA J R Lobo, chairperson of the State Eco-Tourism Development Board Shalet Pinto, MUDA chairman Sadashiva Ullal, Dakshina Kannada Rural Campaign Committee president Mohammed Ali Puttur, former Mayors Shashidhar Hegde and K Bhaskar Moily, KPCC Campaign Committee coordinators K P Thomas and Padmaprasad Jain, and party leaders Shubhodaya Alva, K K Shahul Hameed, Ibrahim Nawaz, Lukman Bantwal, S Appi and K P Jani Sulya were present.
DCC vice-president T K Sudheer welcomed the gathering, while Mangaluru City Block Campaign Committee president Uday Kundar compered the programme.