After the Samajwadi Party sought an urgent debate on Tuesday in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly linking the ruling party to the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the BJP sought to distance itself from the issue, saying no party worker or leader was named in the report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the purported embezzlement.In its first clear response to the Opposition’s allegations over the controversy, the ruling party accused the principal Opposition party of attempting to “spread confusion” around the issue.The SP moved to bring the issue — politically sensitive for the BJP, which has placed the construction of the Ram Temple at the centre of its political and ideological narrative — into the Assembly, demanding an urgent debate over the issue of “faith”.As soon as the House convened on the second day of the Monsoon session on Tuesday, Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey demanded an immediate discussion on the alleged theft of donations, demanding that the matter be taken up before any other business of the House.Pandey questioned why an issue involving donations offered by devotees to the Ram Temple should not be discussed on priority and pressed the government for answers over the alleged theft.Speaker Satish Mahana, however, rejected the demand for an immediate discussion, saying there was no urgency warranting it. It was after the Speaker’s rejection that the Opposition party sharpened its attack, with its legislators entering the Well of the House and repeatedly raising slogans, seeking to turn allegations concerning the donations into a direct attack on the BJP government.It was against this backdrop that Parliamentary Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Suresh Khanna responded to the Opposition’s attempt to link the party to the alleged theft.Story continues below this ad“Jo SIT report aayi hai, usmein BJP ke ek bhi vyakti, kisi bhi karyakarta ko aaropi nahi paya gaya hai (In the SIT report, not a single BJP functionary or worker has been named as an accused),” Khanna told the House, accusing the Opposition of trying to create a “misleading political narrative” around the investigation. “These people spread confusion,” he said.He also sought to underline that distancing the BJP from the accused did not mean the government would shield those found responsible. Referring to those accused in the SIT report, Khanna said the Yogi Adityanath-led government “does not believe in protecting anyone” and action would be taken against those found guilty.The BJP’s response, however, went beyond rebutting the SP’s attempt to link it with the alleged theft. Khanna sought to turn the Ram Temple argument back on the SP by invoking its “record” during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.“They talk about faith today, but we saw their true face in 1990. These are the same people who ordered firing on Ram bhakts (devotees). They created as many hurdles as possible in the construction of the temple. And now they speak of faith,” Khanna said.Story continues below this adHis reference was to the firing on kar sevaks in Ayodhya in 1990, when Mulayam Singh Yadav was Uttar Pradesh chief minister.Also joining the exchange, Speaker Mahana pointed towards Muslim legislators participating in the protest, remarking that it was good that they were concerned about the temple. He asked whether any of the protesting legislators had made donations towards its construction.The government also cited the pendency of a related matter before the Supreme Court while arguing that a sub judice issue could not be discussed in the House.The SP legislators, however, remained near the Well and continued their slogans against the BJP and the government. The supplementary budget was tabled amidst the uproar over the issue.Story continues below this adThe exchange brought to the fore the competing political strategies of the two parties before the upcoming Assembly elections.For the SP, the donation controversy has offered an opportunity to challenge the BJP not by questioning the Ram Temple itself, but by raising questions over the safety of money offered by devotees. Its use of phrases such as “Ram Dhan (Ram’s money)” and slogans such as “Chanda chor, gaddi chhor (Donation thief, leave the chair)” appeared designed to turn the BJP’s association with the temple into a question of accountability.The BJP counter on Tuesday was two-fold — to stress that the SIT has not named any BJP leader or worker, thereby rejecting the Opposition’s attempt to establish a political link; and to question the SP’s credibility in speaking about faith and the Ram Temple by recalling the events of 1990.