The political battle over the alleged Ayodhya Ram Temple donation controversy has intensified with Delhi unit of BJP filing a police complaint against senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari over remarks made during a press conference that the party claims offended the religious sentiments of Hindus.
The complaint, submitted to the Delhi Police, accuses Tiwari of making objectionable comments about Goddess Sita while criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP over allegations related to the handling of Ram Temple donations. The latest development marks another escalation in the war of words between the BJP and the Congress, with both sides trading allegations over the politically sensitive issue.
Advocate Sanket Gupta, a member of the BJP's legal cell, confirmed that the party had approached the police seeking legal action against the Congress leader.
Speaking to ANI, Gupta said that "Today, we have submitted a complaint with the DCP, New Delhi. The complaint was against Pramod Tiwari, who is a senior leader of the Congress party, over the statement he made on August 2, in a press conference held at the Congress headquarters."
He further alleged that the remarks made "while addressing the press," were "not at all acceptable to any Sanatani devotee" and had "hurt the sentiments of all Sanatan devotees."
Explaining the legal basis for the complaint, Gupta added that Sections 299 and 302 of the BNS were completely clear on this, and it was a cognizable offence.
The complaint stems from statements made by Pramod Tiwari while attacking the BJP over allegations of embezzlement involving donations connected to the Ayodhya Ram Temple.
During the press conference, Tiwari referred to the Ashwamedha yagna from the Ramayana, saying that "even when Lord Ram performed the yagna of the Ashwamedha, he got a stone idol of Goddess Sita made and kept it by his side before initiating the yagna."
He then questioned the Prime Minister's role during the Ram Temple consecration ceremony, asking, as per reports, "When Modi was performing the worship of the temple, we couldn't see Goddess Sita Mata anywhere there. Who was Rama's Sita at that time, and who is PM Modi's Sita? PM should decide that himself."
The remarks quickly drew criticism from the BJP, which accused the Congress leader of insulting Hindu religious beliefs.
The BJP also connected Tiwari's statement to a recent protest staged inside the Parliament complex by Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, who dressed as a saffron-clad priest while protesting the alleged Ram Temple donation scam.
Meanwhile, Pappu Yadav has defended his actions, describing the protest as "dignified." He has also said he plans to present his case before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in response to the privilege motion moved against him by BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal.
