UP minister Nishad raps Akhilesh over 'soft Hindutva', defends Ram temple trust

Ballia (UP), Jul 9 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh minister and Nishad Party president Sanjay Nishad on Thursday slammed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for his alleged "soft Hindutva" stance, saying one cannot subscribe simultaneously to the ideologies of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and Lord Ram. Talking to reporters here, Nishad also defended the functioning of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, saying "misconduct" by a few individuals should not cast doubts on the integrity of the entire Trust. Reacting to Yadav's recent remark on Ram temple donation "theft", he said the opposition had been assigned the task of raising questions and making statements by the people. "The government is working. Whoever is found guilty after investigation will receive the strictest punishment. The opposition should cooperate with the investigation and present evidence if they have any instead of making baseless statements," he said. Asked about Yadav's meeting with spiritual leader Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in Lucknow and allegations that the SP chief was adopting a "soft Hindutva" line, Nishad said a person should follow one ideology. "You may live with an Islamic way of thinking or with the ethos of Indian civilisation, but ideology should be one. How can one think like Aurangzeb and also like Lord Ram?" he said. Nishad said Aurangzeb imprisoned his parents and killed his brother to seize power, while Lord Ram embraced Nishad Raj and Sugriva, killed Bali and Ravan and upheld ideals of sacrifice and righteousness. "Religion and politics are different. Today, they (opposition) want to bring religion into politics," he added. On the demand for a Supreme Court judge-monitored probe into alleged irregularities at the Ram temple, Nishad said the investigation should first be completed before any conclusions were drawn. "Let the investigation reach its conclusion. If anyone is found guilty, then discussions can take place. Some people only want to create confusion, while our government wants to resolve the issue," he said. Responding to the SP chief's demand for an examination of the call detail records (CDRs) of all those working at the Ram temple, Nishad said action was already being taken against those found guilty. "Those found guilty are being sent to jail. The intentions of a few people can turn dishonest at any time, but that does not mean the honesty and commitment of everyone should be questioned. The system is functioning. Have patience, the truth will come out," he said. Asked whether the alleged donation theft at the Ram temple could politically hurt the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections, Nishad dismissed it. "If we had tried to shield the accused, people would have questioned us. Instead, the guilty are being sent to jail. The government stands with the people and the system is working," he said. On questions over the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue, Nishad said, "Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is enough. He is ensuring punishment and sending the guilty to jail." PTI COR ABN KVK KVK