Big rift: Congress' Udit Raj slams Centre over Ram Mandir trust, Jitin Prasada rebukes

A new rift now seems to be brewing in Congress party over the constitution of a Ram Mandir Trust that was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. Congress spokesman Udit Raj hit out at the Centre for appointing more Brahmins on the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra than OBC and Dalit members. This drew a counter from another Congress leader Jitin Prasada.

In a series of tweets, Udit Raj, who also heads the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations, wondered why Hindu leaders like Baba Ramdev, Uma Bharati, Kalyan Singh and Vinay Katiyar were not made part of the Trust which will oversee construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, even after fighting for the Ram Janmabhoomi cause. 

READ | Govt Names Members Of Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust

'Government being dishonest'

In another tweet, Udit Raj said, "According to the last census conducted in India, the population of Dalits is three times that of Brahmins. Then how should the "government" Ram temple trust be left only to the Brahmins? The government is being dishonest. The Bahujans get lathi and the Brahmins take the goods (trust)."

Jitin Prasada responds

Reacting to this assertion, former Union Minister Jitin Prasada distanced Congress from the remark and said that the party does not stand against any community and believes in equal opportunity for all. "Whatever the subject be, the tradition of Congress is not to attack any caste or community. I believe that Congress policy is of equal opportunity for all with special positive provisions in favour of the Scheduled Castes," Prasada wrote on Twitter in Hindi.

READ | Nritya Gopal Das 'upset' Over Not Being Included In Trust; BJP Leaders Pacify Him

Personal view, not party's

Meanwhile, speaking to Republic TV, Udit Raj clarified that his remarks were not in the capacity of Congress leader but were personal. "I feel every community should be represented. Why should we monopoly a particular caste? Uma Bharati and Kalyan Singh had also aired their grievances and I support them."

READ | Swami Parmanand Delighted On Being Included In The Ram Mandir Trust

Ram Temple trust

PM Modi on Wednesday announced the formation of the trust in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, nearly three months after the SC ruling on the Ayodhya land dispute. The members of this Trust include senior lawyer K Parasaran, Jagatguru Shankracharya, Jyothishpeethadheeshwar Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj from Allahabad, Jagatguru Madhavacharya Swami Vishwa Prasannatheerth Ji Maharaj, Pejawar Math in Udupi, Yugpurush Paramanand Ji Maharaj from Haridwar, Swami Govinddev Giri Ji Maharaj from Pune and Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra from Ayodhya.

Besides, the following will also be the trustees, Anil Mishra, a homoeopathic doctor from Ayodhya and Kameshwar Chaupal from Patna who is a Scheduled Caste member, and Mahant Dinendra Das, Nirmohi Akhara, Ayodhya Baithak. 

READ | Subramanian Swamy Opines On Ram Mandir Trust; Seeks Sikh, Buddhist & Jain Members