Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday, 4 July accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misappropriating devotee donations from the Ayodhya Ram Temple and announced a statewide agitation, beginning with a 'Ram Raksha' protest at Dadar Kabutarkhana in Mumbai on 5 July at 5 pm IST. The protest, to be held near the Hanuman Temple at Dadar, will feature recitations of the Ram Raksha Stotra, Hanuman Stotra, and Hanuman Chalisa, with Thackeray personally leading the gathering alongside senior party leaders and Shiv Sainiks.

What Thackeray Alleged

Addressing a press conference at his residence, Matoshree, Thackeray alleged that money donated by devotees at the Ram Temple had been 'robbed' under the BJP's watch and demanded accountability from the ruling party. He further alleged that funds siphoned from temple donations may be linked to political operations aimed at engineering splits in opposition parties.

'Today, under the BJP regime, the Ram Temple is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Political parties are being engineered to split, lawmakers are being flown to Goa and elsewhere, and horse-trading is disguised under the name of 'Operations.' Is the BJP now running an 'Operation Ram Mandir'? There is evidence that a robbery has taken place at the temple. Some even say this stolen money is being used to split other parties. This is extremely serious,' Thackeray said.

The Warning to BJP

Invoking a well-known declaration by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Thackeray issued a sharp warning to the ruling party. 'Just as Atal Bihari Vajpayee once said, 'Ab Hindu maar nahi khaayega' (Now, Hindus will not take beatings), I say, 'Ab Hindu maaf nahi karega' (Now, Hindus will not forgive). The Hindu community will show temple looters their rightful place,' he declared.

Thackeray extended an open invitation beyond party lines, saying: 'I invite every Hindu who cannot tolerate this theft in the house of Lord Ram. This is for everyone who hasn't abandoned Hindutva or the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray.'

Historical Context and Political Backdrop

Thackeray recalled the Ram Janmabhoomi movement to argue that the BJP's political rise was built on the sacrifices of ordinary Hindus. 'The entire country's Hindu population participated in the movement that built the BJP. We remember the atrocities faced by Karsevaks, the Godhra carnage, the Ahmedabad riots, and what Mumbai endured. Capitalising on this, the BJP — which had only two MPs before the movement and followed 'Gandhian Socialism' — shifted toward Hindutva and picked up the Ram Mandir issue,' he said.

This aggressive posture comes amid intense political pressure on the Thackeray camp, following the defection of six party MPs to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the recent exit of close aide Sachin Ahir. Critics argue the Ram Raksha campaign is as much about reclaiming the Hindutva narrative as it is about temple accountability.

Statewide Campaign and Warkari Support

Thackeray emphasised that the Dadar protest is the opening salvo of a broader statewide campaign. Following the 5 July event, similar protests are planned across every district, city, and village at local Ram and Hanuman temples. Notably, Thackeray also pointed to the ongoing annual Wari (Pandharpur pilgrimage), claiming that Warkaris (pilgrims) harbour deep anger over the alleged temple fraud and will join the accountability campaign.

The BJP is yet to formally respond to the specific allegations of financial misappropriation at the Ayodhya temple. How the ruling party addresses these charges — and whether Thackeray's statewide rollout gains momentum — will be closely watched in the weeks ahead.