Mockery Of Sanatan Culture: BJP Files Complaint Against Rahul, Pappu Over Chanda Chori Skit

An FIR has been registered in Varanasi against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Independent MP Pappu Yadav and Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad over an Opposition skit on alleged “chanda chori” (misappropriation of donations) at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The controversy has also reached Delhi, where BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj filed a police complaint, calling the act a “mockery of Sanatan culture.”

The skit was performed on July 31 near Makar Dwar of Parliament during an Opposition protest. Pappu Yadav appeared in saffron robes with a tilak, portraying a priest, and carried donation boxes along with an image of Lord Ram. Opposition MPs acted as devotees and placed currency notes in the boxes, after which Yadav removed the money and put it into his pockets to represent allegations of donation misuse.

Rahul Gandhi participated by placing money in a donation box, while Awadhesh Prasad and other Opposition MPs were also present. The Opposition said the performance was meant to raise questions over alleged irregularities involving devotees’ offerings and demanded a discussion in Parliament.

Swaraj, along with Delhi BJP MLAs Anil Sharma and Karnail Singh and advocate Sanket Gupta, submitted a six-page complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi District, seeking a fair, impartial and time-bound investigation.

Swaraj alleged that the protest was not merely an act of dissent but an insult to religious traditions. She said the use of saffron clothing, tilak, donation boxes and the image of Lord Ram amounted to a misuse of sacred symbols. The complaint claimed the skit portrayed Hindu priests and devotees as people diverting religious offerings for personal benefit.

The BJP has asked police to preserve Parliament CCTV footage, video recordings, photographs, media coverage and social media material linked to the protest. The complaint cited BNS Sections 298, 299, 302, 353(2) and 3(5) along with IT Act provisions. It also argued that parliamentary privilege under Article 105 does not cover every activity inside the Parliament complex.

A separate complaint was filed at Jahangirpuri Police Station in Delhi against Pappu Yadav over the same demonstration.

In Varanasi, the FIR was registered after a complaint by seers alleging that the act hurt religious sentiments. Seer Jagatguru Balak Das criticised the performance, while VHP and Bajrang Dal workers protested in Bhopal.

Responding to the allegations, Pappu Yadav said he was being targeted for raising issues related to faith and added that he was ready to repeat such actions to protect Sanatan Dharma.

The row has now become a major political clash between the BJP and INDIA bloc, with both sides accusing each other of using the issue for political gains. Rahul Gandhi has also faced several legal cases in the past, including complaints by Purnesh Modi, Satyaki Savarkar, Sushil Kumar Modi, Krishnavadan Brahmbhatt and RSS members, while he has rarely been seen filing criminal defamation cases against major political opponents himself.