HDK demands transparency in Sangh Parivar's Ram temple fund collection drive

Days after alleging RSS wasmarking houses of those who did not donate for Ram Temple inAyodhya, former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy onWednesday said he was not opposed to the construction of theshrine, but only wanted more transparency in the fundmobilisation.The government has a responsibility to check who wascollecting funds for the Ram Temple, he told a pressconference here.I am neither opposed to the Ram Temple nor did I speakill of any organisation or the collection of funds for RamTemple.

Days after alleging RSS wasmarking houses of those who did not donate for Ram Temple inAyodhya, former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy onWednesday said he was not opposed to the construction of theshrine, but only wanted more transparency in the fundmobilisation.

The government has a responsibility to check who wascollecting funds for the Ram Temple, he told a pressconference here.

''I am neither opposed to the Ram Temple nor did I speakill of any organisation or the collection of funds for RamTemple. Even my party members have given money, but I want toknow who has authorised those collecting money door-to-door?What's their background? Who gave them licences,'' he said.

He said his objection was only to collection of fundsfor the temple construction without transparency and ''loot andmisuse'' of funds in the name of Ram.

Kumarswamy had on Monday accused the RSS of markinghouses of those who gave donations for Ram Temple in Ayodhyaand those who did not and alleged it was similar to what theNazis did in Germany.

The RSS dismissed the allegations, saying they do notqualify for any response while the state unit of the VishwaHindu Parishad, which is among the organisations collectingfunds for the temple, condemned Kumaraswamy for the charges.

The JDS leader said the donations could be done throughonline transactions.

''We have opened so many Jan Dhan accounts, then whycannot we collect money online? Why collect on the street andmark the houses?'' the JD(S) leader asked.

He further alleged no one gave any account of the moneycollected in 1990 for the Ram Temple from across the country.

Kumaraswamy said he came from a family which has faithin God, but never misused the name of God.

''We have commitment to the 130 crore people but we dontbelieve in breaking the society,'' the former Chief Ministersaid.

The VHP Organising Secretary in Karnataka Basavaraj onTuesday condemned Kumaraswamy's earlier statement against RSS.

''It happens to be a highly irresponsible tweet coming infrom former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sri Ram MandirNidhi Samarpana Abhiyan,'' (fund mobilisation), Basavaraj saidin a statement.

Volunteers of various organisations, including the VHP,were reaching out to all sections of society. The latter wereresponding positively and contributing towards theconstruction of the grand temple at Ayodhya, he added.

They did not even demand money from people and theoutreach was merely to enable the whole country take part inthe effort as ''everyone believes strongly that Lord Ram is theidentity of Bharat,'' he added.

''VHP takes serious note of baseless allegations made byan individual who held the highest office of the state.The VHPalso condemns Kumaraswamy's statement for making unwarrantedremarks on the patriotic organization RSS,'' Basavaraj said.

The fund collection drive for the Ram Temple startedfrom January 14 on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and will goon till February 27.