Opposition MPs protest in Parliament over Ram temple donations, Jharkhand student action

New Delhi [India], August 11 (ANI): Opposition MPs, including Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party MPs Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav, staged a protest in the Parliament complex on Tuesday over the alleged theft and misappropriation of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the police action against protesting students in Jharkhand.
The Opposition has been demanding a discussion in Parliament on the alleged irregularities concerning donations made to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, while also seeking answers from the government over the treatment of students during recent protests.
Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav said the Opposition wanted the government to make statements on both issues and alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was unwilling to come to the House and respond.
"We want statements on both issues, but the Home Minister absolutely does not wish to come to the House and deliver one," Dimple Yadav said.
She further alleged that information obtained through Right to Information (RTI) applications showed that at least 10 children had suffered injuries from pellet guns during the recent protests.
"This is because information obtained through RTI filings reveals that at least ten children have sustained injuries from pellet guns. This clearly contradicts the government's earlier claims that pellet guns had not been used, proving they were lying," she said.
Dimple Yadav also alleged that the government had earlier assured that no FIRs would be registered against children, but claimed that a 'zero FIR' had subsequently been registered against a 15-year-old girl by allegedly recording her age as 25.
She demanded that the government clarify the allegations in Parliament.
The Samajwadi Party MP also linked the issue of alleged Ram temple donation theft with the concerns being raised over the treatment of young protesters.
"There should be a discussion on donation theft inside the House, because it was an issue related to our Indian civilisation and our faith," Dimple Yadav said.
"On the 20th July, children were brutally treated, and today an RTI report has come out that about 10 children have been hit by pellet guns," she added.
The allegations regarding the Ram temple donations have been a major issue for the Opposition during the ongoing Monsoon Session. Opposition parties have demanded greater transparency and accountability over the handling of devotees' offerings.
The investigation into the alleged donation theft has already widened. According to reports, eight people had been arrested by July 18, while investigators were examining around 30 additional employees involved in counting cash offerings at the temple.
The issue has repeatedly been raised by Samajwadi Party MPs in Parliament. On July 30, Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav led an SP protest in the Parliament complex carrying symbolic 'daan patras', or donation boxes, and sought accountability over the alleged theft of temple offerings.
Opposition MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, had also previously protested at Parliament's Makar Dwar over the alleged donation theft and police action against student protesters. The MPs raised slogans and displayed a donation box as part of their symbolic demonstration.
Dimple Yadav also spoke about the ongoing Jharkhand student protests, calling the police action against the protesters "very condemnable".
"Nobody is silent. It is a very condemnable incident. We would like to say to our government that they should go and do whatever the children demand," she said.
"The children are not making any big demands, but whatever demands they are making, their demands should be heard," she added.
The Jharkhand protests have centred on the grievances of students and job aspirants over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. The agitation intensified after protesters marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly in Ranchi, with the situation turning tense after barricades were breached and police used force to disperse the demonstrators.
The student issue has since become a major political flashpoint, with Opposition leaders demanding accountability over the police action and calling for dialogue with the protesters.
Dimple Yadav said the condition of young people and children in the country was a matter of concern and urged the government to address the issues being raised by them.
"We want the government to talk because the condition of the youth and the condition of children today is not good in the country," she said.
The Opposition's latest protest comes amid continued disruptions and competing demonstrations by the government and Opposition benches in Parliament, with the two sides accusing each other of avoiding substantive discussion on issues being raised during the Monsoon Session. (ANI)