Temples helping flood victims, why not places of worship of other religious communities? BJP

Mumbai: Maharashtra BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye on Tuesday said various temples have come forward to help flood victims in the state, and asked why places of worship from other religious communities had not extended similar support.

This is not an issue of Hindu or Muslim, but of sensitivity, Upadhye claimed in a post on X.

अतिवृष्टी आणि महापूराच्या वेढ्यात सापडलेल्या महाराष्ट्रात लाखो कुटुंबे संकटात सापडली, शेकडो कुटुंबे उद्ध्वस्त झाली.

अशा कठीण प्रसंगी तुळजाभवानी मंदिर, शेगाव गजानन महाराज संस्थान, सिद्धिविनायक मंदिर यांसारख्या हिंदू मंदिरांनी कोट्यवधी रुपयांची पारदर्शक मदत सरकारकडे पाठवली.…

— Keshav Upadhye (@keshavupadhye) September 30, 2025

The state has been besieged by excessive rains and deluge, with lakhs of families caught in distress and hundreds devastated by the calamity, he pointed out.

In such a difficult period, several Hindu temples have set an example by extending large-scale and transparent assistance to the state government as well as to those directly impacted, Upadhye said.

"But why are the places of worship of other religions in the state - dargahs and mosques - lagging behind? Even though their administrations hold funds worth crores, why has there been no concrete announcement of help, no transparent information about funds, and no relief extended to flood victims? The question is not of Hindu or Muslim, the question is of sensitivity," he said.

The BJP leader specifically cited the Tuljabhavani Temple, Shegaon Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan and Siddhivinayak Temple, noting they had collectively sent aid worth crores of rupees to the government in a transparent manner.

Many temples, trusts and public organisations had, in their own capacity, reached out to the distressed with food, funds and essential commodities, thereby demonstrating the spirit of humanity, he added.

Taking a swipe at political opponents, Upadhye said that leaders and thinkers who sometimes "wear the bogus mask of Hindutva" and at other times profess love for "Ganga-Jamuni culture" while mocking temples and criticising Hindus should reflect upon these questions themselves.

Several parts of Maharashtra, including the usually drought-prone Marathwada region, witnessed heavy rains and floods recently, causing widespread damage.