New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) As former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleged that valuable land near the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain had been allotted to a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-linked trust and was being used for commercial purposes, Vishva Hindu Parishad International President Alok Kumar said on Saturday that Singh has a habit of making ‘highly irresponsible statements’.

Kumar also asserted that the RSS does not own land across the country, except for its headquarters in Nagpur.

The controversy comes after Digvijaya Singh alleged that valuable land near the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain had been allotted to an RSS-linked trust during the tenure of former Chief Minister and BJP leader Sunderlal Patwa.

Digvijaya Singh claimed that the land was now being used for commercial purposes, including the construction of a 100-room hotel, and demanded an inquiry into the alleged misuse of donations.

Speaking to IANS, VHP Chief Alok Kumar said, “Digvijaya Singh has always been in the habit of making highly irresponsible statements. This allegation is a new one. I am not aware of the facts of this particular matter, but I do not believe the allegation can be true because the nature and character of the RSS are not like that. I can tell you that the RSS does not own land across the country, except for its headquarters in Nagpur. The RSS does not own buildings throughout India.”

VHP General Secretary Surendra Jain also criticised Digvijaya Singh, saying, “The Hindu community has fought this (Ram Janmabhoomi Temple movement) battle for 500 years. It also fought against people like you (Digvijaya Singh) who, according to us, stood with the British. The credit for the Ram Temple movement belongs to the Hindu community, which has struggled continuously for centuries. We took up this movement in 1984 under the leadership of revered saints because they knew that parties like the Congress and people like you would never allow the temple to be built. If you want to file a case, then why come to Ayodhya? File it wherever you wish.”

Surendra Jain also said, “Those who have a history of misusing donations, looting the country, and patronising anti-Hindu elements have no moral authority to make such allegations. Digvijaya Singh, it was you who, as the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, did not allow us to hold a conference on internal security. At that time, the Congress had pushed the country into terrorism. We wanted to mobilise society to fight terrorism, but we were not allowed to do so.”

Meanwhile, Digvijaya Singh on Friday announced that he would file a lawsuit in a court in Ayodhya seeking the return of the Rs 1.11 lakh he had donated for the construction of the Ram Temple, alleging that the funds had been misappropriated.

Addressing an event organised by the Madhya Pradesh Mahila Congress in Bhopal, former Chief Minister Singh said he would approach the court instead of the police.

“I have decided to file a lawsuit in Ayodhya saying that the donation I made was misappropriated. They looted it, and therefore it should be returned to me so that I can deposit it into the ‘Ramlaya Trust’. I have no faith in the police because they are controlled by the BJP, so I will not go to the police station. I will go to the court in Ayodhya,” he added.

Digvijaya Singh also said that he had donated Rs 1.11 lakh directly to the Ram Temple Trust after the 2019 Supreme Court judgment, claiming that he chose not to contribute through the VHP because he did not trust the organisation.

He added that he had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting that the donation be deposited with the Ram temple trust and had received an official receipt after making the contribution.

–IANS

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