Maharashtra Congress will launch a statewide protest from Tuesday, 7 July against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over alleged financial irregularities involving donations at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. The agitation adds a second opposition front to a controversy that has already drawn the Shiv Sena (UBT) onto the streets.

Congress Launches 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' Satyagraha

State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal announced on Monday, 6 July that the protest would be formally launched at 11 am at the historic Kalaram Temple in Nashik. Following the launch, a statewide 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' Satyagraha will be held across all district headquarters from 9 July to 14 July, with prayers offered at local Ram, Shiva, or Hanuman temples.

Sapkal alleged that devotees had donated 'millions of rupees along with gold and silver jewellery' to the temple, and that these offerings had been misappropriated. 'This is not just a robbery of money or donations, but a robbery committed in the name of Shri Ram against the faith of millions of devotees,' he said. The party has demanded strict punishment for those it holds responsible, directly naming the BJP and the RSS.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Had Already Moved First

The Congress announcement follows the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s 'Ram Raksha Andolan', launched on 5 July. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray kicked off the agitation at the Hanuman Temple in Dadar, Mumbai, leading a Ram Raksha Maha Aarti alongside party workers and sadhus visiting from Ayodhya. The protest centred on simultaneous chanting of the Ram Raksha Stotra and the Hanuman Chalisa, with parallel events replicated across districts.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, MLC Ambadas Danve led a Ghantanad (bell-ringing) agitation outside the Supari Hanuman Temple. Prominent Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders demanded the immediate dissolution of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, asserting that standard administrative accountability must be enforced over temple funds.

Specific Allegations by Opposition Leaders

MP Sanjay Raut levelled pointed accusations, claiming that beyond cash, valuable gold ornaments, a golden Ramcharitmanas, and a gold mangalsutra offered by devotees to Mother Sita had allegedly gone missing. Thackeray invoked the Shiv Sena's foundational role in the original Ram Janmabhoomi movement, stating, 'We are staunch and patriotic Hindus. Hindus are innocent, but they are not fools. If someone loots a temple by taking advantage of our faith, Hindus won't forgive.'

Thackeray further alleged that after coming to power, the BJP had sought to 'finish Shiv Sena' in a bid to monopolise Hindutva for political gain.

BJP Hits Back: Fadnavis Takes a Swipe at Thackeray

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responded sharply, telling reporters he was glad Thackeray had finally 'remembered Lord Ram' after, in Fadnavis's framing, abandoning his original political path. 'My expectation is that he recites the Ram Raksha Stotra once every day, not just for today,' Fadnavis said. The ruling party has not, however, directly addressed the specific allegations of financial irregularities at the trust.

What This Signals for Maharashtra Politics

The near-simultaneous mobilisation by both Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) on a temple-donation controversy is notable: it represents a coordinated, if separately organised, effort by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bloc to contest the BJP's Hindutva positioning on its own terrain. This comes amid reports of high-profile defections from Shiv Sena (UBT)'s ranks, lending the agitation an added dimension of internal party consolidation. How the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust responds to the dissolution demand — and whether any official inquiry is ordered — will shape the controversy's trajectory in the days ahead.