CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab President, Aman Arora, on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure strict punishment for those responsible for the reported 'chanda chori' at Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
The AAP asserted that the BJP, which rose to power by invoking the sentiments associated with the Ram Temple, must not shield anyone who betrayed devotees’ faith.
Citing 105 reported incidents of ‘chanda-chori (donation theft)', Aman Arora demanded a thorough probe into the role of senior officials, questioning why accountability should end with junior employees.
Arora said more than one lakh Ram devotees from Punjab had written to Prime Minister Modi seeking justice, declaring: “Ram Bhakton ki ek pukar, Chanda choron ko saza is baar.”
Arora said, “Millions of Ram devotees contributed their hard-earned money towards the construction of the Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya with immense faith and devotion. If the money donated by devotees has been misappropriated, it is a betrayal of their faith. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must ensure that everyone found guilty faces the strictest punishment.”
The AAP Punjab President said, “I am raising this issue not as an AAP leader or party president, but as a Ram Bhakt who shares the anguish of lakhs of people across Punjab. People across the country celebrated the construction of the Shri Ram Mandir with immense joy and contributed generously from their hard-earned savings towards this sacred project. Their faith and contributions deserve to be respected.”
While displaying bundles of letters received from different parts of Punjab, Cabinet Minister Arora said, “More than one lakh Ram devotees from Punjab have voluntarily written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to intervene and ensure justice.
"These letters have come from across approximately 22,000 polling booths in the state. We will present them to the Prime Minister as a collective appeal from devotees who want accountability and strict action against everyone found responsible.”
“Why should accountability end with lower-level employees when serious questions remain about the role of senior officials and those entrusted with managing the temple’s affairs? If repeated incidents of theft have taken place, the responsibility of those overseeing the institution must also be examined,” he said.