Owaisi Attacks BJP, RSS Over Ram Mandir Donation Theft Allegations

Owaisi said that they should have made a Muslim a member of the trust just to land the blame on him

NEW DELHI: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on BJP, RSS and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust over the alleged Ram Mandir donation theft case. He claimed that the trust general secretary Champat Rai was "having fun". Adding on to his remarks, he said that they should have made a Muslim a member of the trust just to land the blame on him, stating they could have later "encountered" him or bulldozed his house down to close the case. Addressing a public gathering in Bijnor, Owaisi alleged that there were different standards for dealing with accused persons depending on their identity and questioned the action taken against those arrested in the alleged theft case. "What happened in 1992 is an egregious act. This was said by the Supreme Court," Owaisi said, referring to the demolition of the Babri Masjid . Linking the remarks to the alleged Ram Mandir donation theft, he said: "Now I was asked about what I have to say about it, all I said was, if there was a mistake in the trust, you could have made a Muslim a member of that trust. And later, when this scam came to light, you could have taken that Muslim and encountered him. You could have broken his house with a bulldozer. Case closed." Continuing his criticism, Owaisi said, "Champak is having fun, Champak is having fun." He further questioned the handling of the case, saying, "Whose house is not being broken? Those who have been arrested have reportedly not even been taken into police custody. Perhaps after my statement today, they may now be taken into police custody." The AIMIM chief said the developments reflected the prevailing situation in Uttar Pradesh and urged members of the Muslim community to remain united. "Look at what is happening in Uttar Pradesh today. Tell me, what is happening in Uttar Pradesh today? My dear friends and elders, I am appealing to you to strengthen your unity," he said. Owaisi also directly questioned the BJP and the RSS over Champat Rai, asking: "And I want to ask the BJP and the RSS one question, is Champat Rai your favourite or not? Tell us that." He repeated the question later in his speech and accused the BJP and the RSS of hypocrisy in their political rhetoric. "I appeal to our people to remain united. I also want to ask the BJP and the RSS whether Champat Rai is their favourite or not. They call us Pakistanis, jihadis, or Bangladeshis, but then why is Ram Madhav engaging in track-two diplomacy with Pakistan on behalf of the RSS? This is the same Pakistan where terrorists killed 26 people in the Pahalgam attack," Owaisi said. His remarks came amid political controversy surrounding the alleged theft of donations linked to the Ram Mandir trust, with Owaisi alleging that the authorities' response would have been far harsher had a Muslim been accused.