Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, along with state Congress president Vinay Kumar and several ministers, visited a local Ram temple and Hanuman temple on Tuesday morning. The group walked while raising slogans in praise of Lord Rama and against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to The Tribune, the visit came a day after the Congress announced it would "aggressively" raise the alleged Ram Mandir donation scam before the public.
CM Sukhu’s remarks on the donation scam
Speaking after the temple visit, CM Sukhu said, "We prayed to Lord Rama to show the right path to the people who collected donation in the name of Lord Rama and in the name of religion. The BJP seems to believe in ‘Ram naam japna, chanda-chadwa apna’."
The Chief Minister further described the donation scam as a theft of faith and devotion, not just of money and other valuables donated to the temple. "It’s an emotional issue for every Hindu," he added, as reported by The Tribune.
Political context behind the temple visit
The Congress party has been vocal about the alleged scam involving donations collected in the name of the Ram Mandir. By visiting the temple and offering prayers, Sukhu and his colleagues aimed to highlight what they see as the BJP's misuse of religious sentiment for political gain.
The event underscores the deepening political rivalry in Himachal Pradesh, with the Congress accusing the BJP of exploiting faith for fundraising purposes.
Our Take: Faith and politics must not mix
This incident shows how religion is being used as a political weapon in Himachal Pradesh. While the Congress is right to question any misuse of donations collected in the name of Lord Rama, the temple visit itself feels like a political stunt. In our view, both parties need to separate faith from politics. The real issue here is the alleged scam — and that should be investigated transparently, not turned into a temple-hopping campaign. Voters deserve clarity on where their donations went, not more political theater.