Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Saturday, 27 June launched a sharp attack on the ruling political leadership and the pro-Hindutva umbrella body 'Sakal Hindu Samaj', accusing both of staying conspicuously silent over alleged financial irregularities at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir and the NEET-UG paper leak scandal. The broadside came through a scathing editorial in the party's mouthpiece, Saamana, and marks one of the Thackeray camp's most pointed critiques of selective Hindutva outrage.

Ram Mandir Allegations and the SIT Investigation

The Saamana editorial highlighted recent revelations of alleged theft of donations, collection boxes, and silver items at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. While a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted and cases registered against eight individuals, the party alleged that key suspects — including Champat Rai and other trustees — were shielded from scrutiny by the government.

The editorial cited Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament Sanjay Singh as having placed evidence before the SIT regarding individuals allegedly linked to the temple and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who purchased land at low prices and later sold it back to the Ram Mandir Trust at inflated rates. According to the editorial, this evidence was not acted upon, and only minor accused — identified as Tinnu Yadav and Anukalp Mishra — were subsequently arrested by the Uttar Pradesh government.

The NEET Paper Leak Connection

The Thackeray camp drew a direct line between the Ram Mandir controversy and the NEET-UG paper leak, arguing that both scandals implicate individuals with strong Hindutva and BJP connections, yet neither prompted any protest from organisations that routinely mobilise over issues such as Love Jihad, religious conversions, and cow slaughter.

The editorial stated that Maharashtra emerged as a major hub for the paper leak, with eight to ten individuals and a coaching class owner arrested. It argued that the scandal devastated the futures of thousands of Hindu students, reportedly driving some to suicide, yet the Sakal Hindu Samaj mounted no street protests to defend their interests.

Selective Outrage: The Broader Charge

The Saamana editorial extended its criticism to two additional cases. It alleged that BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari publicly stated that cows older than 14 years could be slaughtered, yet no Hindutva organisation organised protest marches in West Bengal. It further alleged financial mismanagement and 'loot' at the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain under the BJP-led state government in Madhya Pradesh, again without any organised response from Hindutva bodies.

In a pointed rhetorical flourish, the editorial asked whether the Sakal Hindu Samaj would only stir if it were rumoured that the accused were Muslims operating under assumed Hindu names — suggesting the groups respond to religious identity rather than the substance of wrongdoing.

Thackeray Camp's Core Argument

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena argued that the Ram Mandir was the political and ideological launchpad for the current ruling dispensation, making the alleged plunder of the temple's resources a particularly acute contradiction. The editorial likened the Sakal Hindu Samaj's inaction to the mythological figure Kumbhakarna — known for deep, uninterruptible sleep — while taunting that 'a restless Lord Ram and his family have, once again, departed for exile.'

The allegations made in the editorial remain the party's political position and have not been independently verified. The BJP and the Ram Mandir Trust have not publicly responded to the specific claims raised in the Saamana editorial, as of the time of reporting. How the ruling establishment responds to this sustained pressure from the Thackeray camp will shape the next phase of Maharashtra's already fractured political landscape.