Devkinandan Thakur hits back at Owaisi, calls for a Sanatan board after Ram temple donation row

Spiritual leader Devkinandan Thakur on Wednesday criticised AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi over his remarks on the Ram Temple donation embezzlement case, saying the Hyderabad MP should not comment on matters related to Sanatan Dharma.

Speaking to ANI, Thakur said the issue was an internal matter for followers of Sanatan Dharma and asked Owaisi to "keep his mouth shut" on the subject. "He should speak on the Quran and mosques. He should not unnecessarily give statements on religious issues of Hindu religion," Thakur said.

His remarks came a day after Owaisi criticised the Uttar Pradesh government over the donation theft case. The AIMIM chief claimed that if a Muslim had been part of the Ram Mandir trust, the government would have "shot him in an encounter and bulldozed his house by now."

Referring to the embezzlement of temple donations, Thakur described the matter as "heart-wrenching" for followers of Sanatan Dharma. He said he believed Prime Minister Narendra Modi would take steps to safeguard Sanatan Dharma by establishing a Sanatan Board.

Thakur proposed that the board should include the four Shankaracharyas, five Vaishnavacharyas, and other religious leaders to oversee the management of temples across the country.

He also said temple donations should be used for public welfare, including education for underprivileged children, promotion of religion, and the construction of hospitals, rather than remaining with individual trusts.

Thakur further suggested that the proposed Sanatan Board should have powers similar to those of the Waqf Board. He said such a body could oversee temple administration, establish modern gurukulams, and help prevent financial irregularities in the future.