Ram Mandir Donation Theft Accused Facing Legal, Social Consequences; Guilty Won't be Spared: BJP

The ruling party cited a resolution by the Faizabad Bar Association, which resolved that none of its members will represent the eight accused arrested in the alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations and warned that any lawyer who goes against the decision will face a Rs 5-lakh penalty.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has made it very clear that exemplary punishment will be meted out to the guilty and speedy justice will be ensured, the party said, adding the case will proceed as per the rule of law.

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said that those who betray faith or defend such betrayal will never receive the blessings of the Hindu society.

"This is a powerful message from Hindu society. Those accused of looting in Ayodhya are not only facing the full force of the law, they are also facing social boycott," he said in a post on X on the Bar Association decision.

Bhandari alleged that opposition parties, driven by "appeasement politics", have repeatedly stood with the accused for "vote-bank gains".

"The Samajwadi Party backed those accused in the Ayodhya and Varanasi blast cases. Lawyers like Kapil Sibal have also represented accused in high-profile matters such as the CAA and Delhi riots cases," he claimed.

"The contrast is clear: Hindu civilisation has endured for centuries because it has upheld Dharma above individuals -- despite repeated attempts by Mughal invaders, the Congress ecosystem, and vote-bank politics to weaken it," he added.

Another BJP national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha told PTI that the party understands the "sentiments and anguish" behind the Faizabad Bar Association's decision and the matter will ultimately be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.

"We clearly relate to the sentiments and the anguish of the Faizabad Bar Association. But India is a country where the rule of law is sacrosanct, and the case will proceed as per the rule of law.

"Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has made it very clear that the guilty will not be spared. Exemplary punishment will be meted out, and speedy justice will be ensured," Sinha said.

The Monday resolution was passed at the Association's general body meeting after lawyers on Sunday indicated they were unlikely to defend the accused, saying their sentiments had been hurt by the alleged theft of temple offerings.

The eight accused -- Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ram Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar alias Tinnu Yadav -- are associated with counting cash and valuables received as donations at the Ram Temple.

They were arrested in connection with the alleged embezzlement and were remanded to judicial custody till June 29.

At the Bar Association meeting, lawyers vocally demanded that Champat Rai, Anil Mishra, and Gopal Rao, all associated with the management of the temple (but not mentioned as accused in the FIR), "must leave" Ayodhya.

The lawyers warned that if the trio did not leave within three days, the entire city of Ayodhya would be blockaded, and no one would be allowed to enter.