Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh), August 2 : Congress MP Imran Masood on Sunday hit out at the FIR registered against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders in Varanasi and questioned the grounds for the case.
"The massive issue regarding the theft of donations for the Ram Mandir; it took so long just to get an FIR registered for that--yet everything else is just a staged spectacle. What exactly are they filing an FIR for? I simply don't understand the grounds for it," Masood said.
"The fact that donation theft occurred has already been fully exposed. But whatever they do now, Lord Ram will answer them," he added.
Congress leader Meeta Chakraborty also defended the Opposition's protest, saying there must be accountability for donations collected in the name of Lord Ram.
"You have to realise one thing: when donations are collected in the name of Ram, there must be accountability. If cash, gold or silver is stolen and there is no proper accounting, it raises serious questions," Chakraborty said.
She said raising questions about alleged corruption in the name of Lord Ram did not amount to insulting Sanatan Dharma.
"If trustees take responsibility and resign, it shows that proper management was not followed. If corruption happens in the name of Ram, it does not insult Sanatan Dharma, but raising the issue in Parliament or through protests is being called an insult to religion," she said.
"People of the country can see that the alleged wrongdoing in Ayodhya has hurt religious sentiments. Speaking about it in Parliament, as Rahul Gandhi and Opposition leaders have done, is not an insult," she added.
The remarks came after Varanasi Police registered an FIR against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and others following a complaint related to a demonstration involving opposition MPs.
The controversy centres on a protest during which Pappu Yadav, dressed in saffron robes as a temple priest, and other opposition MPs enacted a skit involving a collection box and allegations of corruption inside the Parliament complex on July 31.
Meanwhile, the BJP has strongly condemned the demonstration, accusing opposition leaders of insulting Sanatan Dharma and religious figures. BJP leaders have demanded strict action against those involved, while the Opposition has defended the protest as a legitimate form of political expression.
The incident has triggered a political row, with multiple police complaints being filed against opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Pappu Yadav and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.