Giriraj Singh targets Opposition over 'sadhu disguise' theft row
Synopsis
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh accused political opponents of exploiting an alleged sadhu-disguise theft incident to attack Sanatana Dharma, saying the law will punish the guilty but those shedding 'crocodile tears' over the Ram Mandir have exposed their true intent.
Key Takeaways
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh posted on X on July 31, 2026 , responding to an alleged incident of theft committed by individuals reportedly disguised as sadhus.
Singh stated that the law will punish every person guilty of 'playing games in the name of faith' — acknowledging wrongdoing before pivoting to a political attack.
He accused Opposition figures of using the incident to demean Sanatana Dharma and of shedding 'crocodile tears' in the name of the Ram Mandir .
Singh charged that the same political voices who 'never tired of defaming the saffron robes' are now performing piety to score ideological points.
The specific theft incident referenced cannot be independently verified; Singh did not name the accused or specify a location.
The post continues the BJP's established pattern of defending Hindu religious symbols while questioning critics' motives, a pattern that intensified after the Ram Mandir inauguration in January 2024 .
A political firestorm erupted on Friday, July 31, 2026, after Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh took direct aim at what he called the 'real face' of those who use faith controversies as cover to attack Sanatana Dharma — pointing to an alleged incident in which individuals reportedly disguised themselves as sadhus to commit theft.
Posting on X, Singh wrote: 'Aastha ke naam par khilwaad karne waale har doshi ko kanoon saza dega' — 'The law will punish every guilty person who plays games in the name of faith' — but he was equally sharp in the other direction, accusing political opponents of exploiting the episode to target Sanatana Dharma. 'Those who never tired of defaming the saffron robes,' he wrote, 'are today shedding crocodile tears in the name of the Ram Mandir to demean Sanatana.'
The 'sadhu disguise' incident and Singh's two-front attack
Singh's post operates on two simultaneous tracks. The first is an acknowledgement: the law must act, and any individual who exploits religious identity to commit crime deserves punishment. The second is an accusation: that certain political actors are weaponising the episode not out of genuine concern for the devout, but to embarrass Sanatana Dharma and the saffron symbol more broadly. The specific theft incident involving individuals allegedly dressed as sadhus has not been independently confirmed, and Singh does not name the accused or the location.
The framing is deliberate. By conceding the legal point first, Singh insulates the argument from the charge of defending wrongdoers — then pivots to offence, casting the Opposition's outrage as performative and ideologically motivated.
Ram Mandir as political battleground, again
Singh's invocation of the Ram Mandir is not incidental. The Supreme Court of India's November 2019 verdict cleared the way for temple construction at Ayodhya, and the temple was inaugurated in January 2024 — a moment the BJP positioned as a civilisational milestone. Since then, any controversy touching the temple or saffron imagery carries outsized political charge. Singh's post fits a well-worn BJP template: defend the symbol, question the critic's motives, and frame the debate as Sanatana Dharma under siege.
What is sharper here is the specific charge of 'crocodile tears' — ghariyaali aansu — implying that the same voices who spent years attacking saffron are now performing piety to score points. It is a combative repositioning that turns a law-and-order incident into a culture-war statement.
Opposition responses and any further developments in the underlying theft case will determine whether this post marks the start of a wider political exchange — or lands as a standalone salvo in an ongoing war of symbols.
Point of View
Then use it as a launching pad to question the Opposition's ideological sincerity. By tying the incident to the Ram Mandir and the saffron symbol, he elevates a local law-and-order episode into a civilisational argument — a move that has reliably energised the party's base since 2014. The 'crocodile tears' framing is particularly pointed: it pre-empts Opposition outrage by labelling it insincere before it can land. Whether the tactic gains traction will depend on how the underlying incident unfolds and whether the Opposition chooses to engage or let the charge pass.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Giriraj Singh say about the sadhu disguise theft incident?
Singh said the law will punish every person guilty of exploiting faith, but accused political opponents of using the incident to target Sanatana Dharma, calling their concern 'crocodile tears' shed in the name of the Ram Mandir.
Who is Giriraj Singh?
Giriraj Singh is the Union Minister of Textiles in the Indian government, a senior BJP leader, and the Lok Sabha MP from Begusarai, Bihar.
What is the Ram Mandir connection in Giriraj Singh's post?
Singh alleged that Opposition figures who previously attacked saffron imagery are now invoking the Ram Mandir to demean Sanatana Dharma, framing their outrage as politically motivated rather than genuinely devout.
What happened in the sadhu disguise theft case Giriraj Singh referred to?
Singh's post references an alleged incident in which individuals reportedly disguised themselves as sadhus to commit theft. The specific details of the incident have not been independently verified.
What is Sanatana Dharma and why is it politically significant in India?
Sanatana Dharma refers broadly to the eternal principles of Hinduism. It has become a politically charged term in India, with BJP leaders frequently invoking it to frame debates about Hindu cultural identity against what they describe as Opposition hostility toward Hindu practices and symbols.
