BJP leaders, including New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj, filed a police complaint in Delhi on Saturday seeking action against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and MPs Pappu Yadav and Awadhesh Prasad over a skit performed during a protest in the Parliament complex against the alleged theft of donations to the Ram temple. An FIR was also registered against the three leaders in Varanasi.
Swaraj, accompanied by BJP MLAs, submitted the complaint at Parliament Street police station. She alleged that the actions of Gandhi, Independent MP Pappu Yadav and Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad amounted to a "mockery" of Sanatan culture and were an attempt to ridicule Indian traditions. The controversy has turned what began as an Opposition protest over alleged embezzlement of temple donations into a political row over religious sentiments.
Skit At Makar Dwar Sparks Row
Pappu Yadav, dressed in saffron, performed the skit with other Opposition MPs in front of Makar Dwar at the Parliament complex on Friday. The protest centred on the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
During the skit, MPs, including Gandhi, put money into boxes, while Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, slipped money into his pockets to symbolise the alleged theft of donations. The use of religious imagery to make a political point has now become the focus of the controversy, overshadowing the allegation the Opposition had sought to highlight, PTI reports.
FIR Filed In Varanasi
Varanasi Police registered a case against the three Opposition leaders following a formal complaint submitted by some seers at Kotwali police station. The seers alleged that the MPs had insulted Sanatan Dharma, according to Gaurav Banswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kashi Zone.
Yadav is an Independent MP from Bihar's Purnia constituency, while Prasad represents Uttar Pradesh's Faizabad seat for the Samajwadi Party.
Seer Says Religious Sentiments Hurt
Seer Jagatguru Balak Das said the manner in which Pappu Yadav insulted Lord Ram and Sanatan Dharma in the House was unforgivable.
"No follower of Sanatan Dharma can forget this act. It has hurt our religious sentiments. So we have demanded that a case be registered," he said.
VHP, Bajrang Dal Protest In Bhopal
Activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal also held a protest in Bhopal on Saturday against the Opposition leaders over the skit.
The protesters raised slogans against Gandhi and tried to march from Vyapam Square to Link Road but were stopped at police barricades. Some activists attempted to cross the barricades, leading to scuffles.
Opposition Protested Over Donations, Student Crackdown
On Friday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi took part in the protest against the alleged "theft" of donations and the police crackdown on student agitators during the Cockroach Janta Party's July 20 march to Parliament.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party MPs Awadhesh Prasad and Dharmendra Yadav, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Mahua Maji were among those who participated in the protest.
The Opposition leaders stood behind a large banner that read, "Amit Shah Sadan Se Gayab Kyun?"
The INDIA bloc has sought to corner the government during the Monsoon Session over the alleged theft of donations and the use of force against students protesting over the NEET paper leak. The complaints and protests over Friday's skit, however, have added a fresh political and religious dimension to the confrontation.
