In a secular nation, it is not the government’s business to build religious institutions or temples. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the pro-BJP-RSS ruling dispensations across states went overboard constructing the Ram Temple in Ayodhya with much pomp and grandeur. The Prime Minister himself led the rites, along with priests, for the temple’s consecration—pictures of which were beamed live across India and to the wider world. This occurred in January 2024, in the run-up to the parliamentary/general elections; obviously, a high-voltage political drama unfolded. To a nation claiming secular credentials, this was too great a deviation from established norms. The event, fulfilling a promise made by pro-RSS entities before and after the demolition of the ancient Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992, apparently stirred religious frenzy. The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaped a rich harvest of votes in the subsequent elections – though this did not help them win a majority in Parliament.
And now the anti-climax. Allegations of massive looting of funds collected for the Ram Temple construction are swirling. Prominent temple functionaries as well as those linked to the RSS have been implicated through allegations of their involvement. The RSS was at the forefront of fund collections, in addition to collecting bricks for the grand temple construction. The collections were made from Hindus across regions and states. Now that this scandal has erupted, it is incumbent on not just the RSS but also Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain how such a situation arose from what was supposed to be a devotional enterprise. Every penny given by Lord Ram’s devotees and Hindus as a whole must be accounted for. There is still no clarity regarding the extent of money collected for this purpose. There’s no explanation from the higher-ups as to why such misappropriation occurred. The RSS is an organisation known for its discipline. It engaged in fund collections in the past, but always in a fair manner without raising any eyebrows. But, apparently bad blood is creeping into even disciplined entities when they get too close to seats of power. This is unacceptable.
In fact, temples across states now face situations of loot by those entrusted with their governance. The Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala, for instance, currently faces such a scenario, where a large portion of the gold donated by a business magnate for gold-plating its doors and interiors has gone missing. Another prominent temple in the state also reported the disappearance of precious items from its stock. Political involvement in the governing councils of temples often creates such situations. A dispute over the use of adulterated ghee in preparing ladoos at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam temple led to court interventions and police investigations. This is emerging as a serious challenge to the cause of faith itself. But it also exposes how using religion for political gain can destroy both.
