NEW DELHI, July 31: The opposition INDIA bloc on Friday made a dramatic presentation in the Parliament complex of the alleged Ram temple donation fund embezzlement to highlight their demand for a discussion in the House on the issue.
Continuing the high political drama the Parliament is witnessing in the current monsoon session, the independent member from Purnea in Bihar Pappu Yadav came to Parliament on Friday clad in saffron dressed as a “priest” carrying a “donation box.” The other opposition MPs including the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, joined the skit symbolically placing an offering in the donation box and the “priest” Pappu Yadav promptly taking the money out of the box and pocketing the same to highlight the Ram temple fund embezzlement. Several other Opposition MPs stood behind Rahul Gandhi and raised slogans in support of their demand.
The unusual demonstration attracted attention outside Parliament, with several Opposition leaders joining the protest and visitors and others enjoying the drama. A video of the symbolic demonstration has also surfaced on social media.
The symbolic performance unfolded like a street play. Fellow Opposition MPs played the role of devotees, stepping forward to place donations into a collection box. However, Pappu Yadav paying the “priest” quietly slipped the money into his own pocket instead of the donation box, prompting an SP MP, acting as a devotee, to confront him over the “illegal” action.
Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party’s Awadhesh Prasad and Dharmendra Yadav, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Mahua Majhi were among those who participated in the protest, standing behind a big banner that read: ‘Amit Shah Sadan Se Gayab Kyun?’ Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav said the demonstration was aimed at drawing attention to allegations that devotees who made donations were not issued receipts and that CCTV footage related to the matter had allegedly been deleted.
“Ram japiyo re, sab maal hadapiyo re. Man mein Ram, chintan mein Ram, kaan mein Shiv, jeevan mein saanson mein,” Pappu Yadav later told reporters. “This is a symbolic protest to highlight what has happened in Ayodhya. Devotees made donations, but there are allegations that receipts were not issued and CCTV footage was deleted. We want a discussion on this issue in Parliament,” he said.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh said that Opposition’s protest defamed Sanatan. “It is unfortunate for the country and for political parties like the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, which, for the sake of votes, have worked to defame Sanatan. Sanatan will respond to this, and this is an offence that we will never forgive,” he said.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat has taken a strict view regarding the methods of protest in the Parliament House complex. According to sources, the Secretariat has made it clear that costume-based protests or dramatic demonstrations will not be allowed in the Parliament premises. It is being reported that the Lok Sabha Speaker has also expressed displeasure over the entire incident and preparations are underway to implement the existing guidelines strictly.
Protesting in front of Makar Dwar of Parliament, the lawmakers raised slogans such as ‘Amit Shah istifa do’, ‘Amit Shah sadan mein aao’ and ‘chadhawa chor, gaddi chhod.’ The INDIA bloc has said it will corner the government on issues of alleged donation theft and the use of “brutal force” against students during their protests over the NEET paper leak.
The symbolic protest came even as the Opposition continued its campaign against Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged police action against students during the July 20 Parliament march at the Jantar Mantar. For the second consecutive day, Opposition MPs held demonstrations inside the Parliament complex carrying banners questioning Shah’s absence from the House. Some banners read, “Why is Amit Shah missing from Parliament?” The Opposition has been demanding the Home Minister’s resignation over the alleged crackdown on students during the protest, an issue that has repeatedly disrupted proceedings in both Houses.
The latest protest also comes a day after Parliament cleared the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. With both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha having passed the legislation, it now awaits the President’s assent before becoming law. Despite the passage of the bill, frequent protests and disruptions by Opposition members have continued to dominate the ongoing Monsoon Session. Rahul Gandhi has alleged that Amit Shah was “either culpable or incompetent”. He demanded an independent probe monitored by the Supreme Court.