Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday accused the BJP of robbing donations from the Ayodhya Ram Temple and announced a statewide agitation beginning with a ‘Ram Raksha’ protest in Mumbai’s Dadar area on July 5.  

Addressing a press conference at his residence, Matoshree here, Thackeray alleged that the BJP had “robbed” money donated by devotees at the Ram Temple and demanded accountability. He said the protest would be held near the Hanuman Temple at Dadar Kabutarkhana from 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Thackeray extended an open invitation to all citizens, urging them to transcend party lines. “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. We will gather to recite the Ram Raksha Stotra, Hanuman Stotra, and Hanuman Chalisa,” he said, adding that he would personally lead the protest alongside top party leaders and Shiv Sainiks.

The aggressive stance comes at a time of intense political turmoil within the Thackeray camp, following successive setbacks including the defection of six party MPs to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the recent exit of close aide Sachin Ahir.

Recalling the history of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, Thackeray stated that the BJP’s current political dominance 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. Suffering through all of this, Hindus persevered. 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,” Thackeray said.

The former Maharashtra Chief Minister further alleged that money siphoned from temple donations could 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,” he said.

Invoking a famous 1990s slogan by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Thackeray issued a stern 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,” Thackeray declared.

Thackeray emphasised that the Dadar agitation is just the beginning of a larger, statewide campaign. Following Sunday’s event, similar protests will be organized across every district, city, and village at local Ram and Hanuman temples, he said.

Noting that the annual Wari (Pandharpur pilgrimage) is underway, Thackeray added that even the Warkaris (pilgrims) harbor deep anger over the alleged temple fraud and will join forces to hold the BJP accountable.