Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday launched a “Ram Raksha” campaign and declared it was time for a “BJP-mukt Ram”, accusing the ruling party of remaining silent over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. Addressing party workers outside Dadar railway station, Thackeray said Lord Ram belonged to the entire nation and not to any political party, and demanded an impartial probe into the alleged donation theft.

Why the protest

According to Shiv Sena (UBT), reports of alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir surfaced in June. The issue has since triggered a political row, although the UP government has already constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the allegations.