SP, Cong 'attacking' Sanatan faith, keep mum on Waqf issues: Adityanath

Pratapgarh /Sultanpur (UP), Jul 7 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday accused the Congress and Samajwadi Party of "attacking" Sanatan with their statements on the Ram temple donation theft row and asked why their mouths were "glued shut" when it came to Waqf issues. "Even a chameleon must be feeling ashamed as SP and Congress change their colours faster than it does," the chief minister said, adding that the two opposition parties which had opposed the Ram temple were now claiming that faith is being undermined in Ayodhya. Adityanath was addressing a gathering after inaugurating and laying foundation stones of 111 development projects worth more than Rs 384 crore in Pratapgarh and 99 projects worth Rs 819 crore in Sultanpur. "The Samajwadi Party and the Congress, which are attacking the Sanatan faith over alleged theft of offerings at the Ram temple, were silent on the Waqf land issue. Why are SP and Congress leaders' mouths glued shut with Fevicol when it comes to Waqf matters?" the BJP leader said. Adityanath said he wanted to ask the Congress and the SP whether they ever spoke even once about thousands of hectares of land allegedly sold in the name of Waqf in Uttar Pradesh and across the country. "But why do the Congress and the SP fall silent when it comes to alleged irregularities involving Waqf properties? Why did they never speak when donations made by Hindus were allegedly diverted to build graveyard boundary walls?" he asked. He asked if Hindu faith was not hurt "when illegal slaughterhouses operated, when cows were slaughtered and allegedly sold to smugglers?" "Was Hindu faith not hurt when Ram devotees were fired upon or lathi-charged? Was it not hurt when Lord Ram and Lord Krishna were described as imaginary, when Kanwar Yatras were restricted, or when Janmashtami celebrations and Durga Puja pandals were stopped? "Will the Congress and the Samajwadi Party answer these questions?" he said. His remarks came as the opposition tried to corner the BJP and the RSS over the Ram temple donation embezzlement case, accusing them of betraying Lord Ram and the faith of crores of people of the country. That a grand Ram temple now exists at the site of the Babri structure pains them, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said. He referred to the land allotted to the Muslim community for the construction of a mosque under the directions of the Supreme Court in its verdict on the Ayodhya title dispute, saying that even the foundation for the mosque had not yet been laid. Adityanath also criticised these parties for opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Act. "They want the plunder in the name of Waqf to continue, the land of the poor to keep being encroached upon, and temples to continue being defamed while Hindu faith is repeatedly hurt. This double standard should not be accepted," he said. "For the past few days, they have been attacking India's Sanatan faith through their statements. Recall how the Congress once claimed that Lord Ram and Lord Krishna never existed. They supported the Babri structure and shed crocodile tears for it. But now, a grand Ram temple stands there, and this pains them," he said. He said that today, the Congress and the SP have changed their colours "like chameleons". "Even a chameleon must be feeling ashamed as SP and Congress change their colours faster than it does," the chief minister said. "How is faith being undermined there? Since when has Ayodhya become an issue of faith for the Congress? Ram devotees have the right to say that Ayodhya is a matter of their faith because their forefathers fought for it. "But the Congress, which denied the very existence of Lord Ram, has no right to speak on the issue. The Samajwadi Party, which had got Ram devotees fired upon, also has no moral authority to lecture on faith," he claimed. "Sometimes I even wonder whether they are exploiting isolated incidents to insult Hindus and attack their faith," the chief minister said, adding the country will "no longer fall into the trap of the Congress and the SP". On Ram temple donation theft, Adityanath said, "The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had requested the Uttar Pradesh government to constitute an SIT, and I had said the SIT would establish the truth. "Based on its preliminary findings, the Trust lodged a complaint, and action has been taken against those against whom evidence was found." The Trust is managing the temple without any outside interference, and today "we can all see that the grand temple of Lord Ram has taken shape", the chief minister said. The chief minister alleged that previous governments patronised local goons in every district and police station area to encroach upon the land of the poor, harass women and girls on the streets and extort money from traders. He said the "new Uttar Pradesh" no longer tolerated such practices. PTI ABN PRK RT RT