New Town (West Bengal) [India], August 3 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh on Monday lashed out at Purnea MP Pappu Yadav over alleged insults to Sanatan Dharma, asserting that "society will not condone" such actions.
Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said, "Some people have insulted the Ramayana or Lord Ram along the way. Where are they now? Society will not condone this. As for the law, action is being taken."
The comments come amid a broader political controversy that centres on a demonstration where Purnia MP Pappu Yadav, dressed in saffron robes as a temple priest, and fellow opposition MPs enacted a skit involving a collection box and allegations of corruption.
Turning his attention to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Ghosh dismissed the talk of "Plan A or Plan B" regarding the party's future strategies.
"What is plan A or plan B? If the party itself won't exist, what will they do with the plan?" the BJP leader remarked.
His comments come after the Parliament complex turned into a stage in an unusual display of protest on July 31, as opposition MPs used street theatre to target the central government over a range of issues, with the alleged Ram Mandir donation "theft" row taking centre stage.
The opposition also demanded accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging he join the ongoing Parliamentary proceedings and answer for the recent police action faced by the protesting students.
As slogans of "Chanda chor, gaddi chhod", "Jawab tumko dena hoga" and "Amit Shah, sadan mein aao!" echoed through the Parliament complex, Purnia MP Pappu Yadav emerged dressed in saffron robes, portraying a temple priest collecting offerings from devotees. He carried a photograph of Ayodhya's Lord Ram.
The symbolic performance unfolded like a nukkad natak. Fellow opposition MPs played the role of devotees, stepping forward to place donations into a collection box. However, in a dramatic twist, the "priest" quietly slipped the money into his own pocket instead of the donation box, prompting an SP MP, acting as a devotee, to confront him over the "illegal" action.