‘Attack on Hindu society’: Poonawalla slams Rahul Gandhi over Ram Temple theft skit in Parliament

He claimed the parties involved had "faith only in vote-bank politics" and not in Lord Ram.

Amid speculation over his political future, Shehzad Poonawalla on Friday criticised the Opposition's protest skit in Parliament over the alleged Ram Temple donation theft, accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Independent MP Pappu Yadav and other Opposition parties of insulting Hindu saints and the wider Hindu community.

In a video shared on Instagram, Poonawalla said there was a distinction between raising an issue and "attacking the entire Hindu society in the name of an issue". Referring to the protest, in which Pappu dressed as a saffron-clad priest as part of a street-theatre performance, Poonawalla alleged that the demonstration portrayed Hindu sadhus and saints as thieves.

Also Read: Watch: Rahul Gandhi joins Pappu Yadav's Ram Temple 'chanda' theft skit on Parliament premises

“The issue of the alleged theft at the Ram Temple can certainly be raised. But were those accused in the case sadhus or Bhagwadharis? Why was a sadhu shown as the person committing the theft?”, Poonawalla said.

Poonawalla also questioned Rahul over his participation in the skit, asking whether the Opposition would stage similar performances involving religious leaders from other faiths over alleged financial irregularities linked to religious trusts.

"If you have the courage, would you enact a similar protest dressed as a maulvi or a priest over alleged scams in Waqf, mosque or church trusts?" he asked.

He claimed the parties involved had "faith only in vote-bank politics" and not in Lord Ram.

The remarks came hours after Opposition MPs staged a symbolic protest in the Parliament complex over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The demonstration, led by Pappu Yadav, featured a skit in which MPs acted as devotees placing money into a donation box while Yadav, portraying a priest, pocketed the cash to symbolise the alleged theft. Rahul Gandhi briefly joined the performance by placing money into the donation box.

Poonawalla's remarks also come amid speculation over his political future. Earlier on Friday, he updated his X profile, removing any mention of his role as BJP national spokesperson.

His revised bio described him as: “Religion Islam, Culture-Hindu, ideology-Bhartiya, Author: GST ki Yatra; Lifelong follower of PM Narendra Modi.”

However, there has been no official confirmation from either Poonawalla or the BJP regarding any change in his status within the party.

(With inputs from agencies)

Anagha Deshpande is Deputy Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times. She is currently part of the news team. Before moving into this role, she worked with the Bengaluru desk, where she extensively covered civic issues, Karnataka politics, infrastructure, and urban governance. Over the past seven years, Anagha has worked across multiple facets of digital journalism, including reporting, editing, and video production. She briefly stepped away from journalism, only to realize that the newsroom is where she has the most fun. Her interests lie in tracking national and state politics, particularly South Indian politics, as well as social issues and public policy. She has previously worked with Deccan Herald, Mid-day, The Federal, and ThePrint, and has lived and worked in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai. When she isn't chasing stories, Anagha enjoys long aimless walks, reading, hiking, discovering new teas, and, by her own admission, overthinking almost everything.Read More