Senior Nationalist Congress Party legislator Jayant Patil criticized the Maharashtra government in the Legislative Assembly for the ‘Shri Ram Mandir Devasthan Trust Management, Ramtek Bill’. Patil warned that involving politicians in the trust could lead to significant corruption, surpassing the Ayodhya temple controversies. He questioned the limited representation of the Bhonsle family in the trust and suggested more family members be included instead of politicians.
Patil highlighted flaws in the proposed legislation and urged a thorough review by a Joint Selection Committee before reintroducing the Bill in the next Assembly session. He opposed provisions granting daily and transport allowances to trust members, questioning the necessity for members to travel outside when God is inside the temple.
The legislator criticized the requirement for trust members to declare themselves as devotees of Lord Ram, calling it regressive and potentially conflicting with principles of secularism. He also pointed out the absence of specific provisions for handling donations and funds in the Bill. Patil recommended installing CCTV cameras facing donation boxes, same-day recording of cash, and introducing safeguards to prevent theft, drawing from incidents in Ayodhya.
