Photo of Congress MLA Eldhose Kunnappilly has recently gone viral on social media with claims that he donated money to RSS for the construction of Ram Mandir. The photo showing MLA holding a card with the image of a building along with three men, was widely shared in social media. However, on Wednesday, the MLA came out stating that he was misled by the RSS and that he donated money thinking it is for some other temple.
Hitting out at the RSS and the right wing, Eldhose Kunnappily who represents the Perumbavoor constituency said that he was deeply hurt by the turn of events. "Some people had contacted me asking for donations for some temples. But they did not reveal they were RSS workers or if the donation was for Ram Mandir. Out of my innocence I gave them RS 1,000 as I normally give," the MLA said in a Facebook video. Very soon they began to spread that it was for Ram Mandir construction.
I'm a secular person and it's disheartening that they fooled me, he added. "You (RSS) should engage in politics ethically," said the MLA.
In the video he also apologized to Muslim community if the news has in any way hurt their sentiments. "I express my grief over this RSS propaganda if that has in any way hurt religious sentiments of some communities," he said.
Watch video of MLA's reaction
Interestingly, another Congress leader in Kerala recently came under criticism after he inaugurated fund collection drive for Ram Mandir construction.
Regunathan Pillai, Alappuzha District Congress Committee Vice President, inaugurated the functfunction held at Kadavil Sree Mahalakshmi Temple in Pallipuram by handing an amount to the head priest of the temple. Ragunathan is a Congress leader who had held many key positions of the party in Alappuzha. After the issue became controversial, he reacted stating that he inaugurated the event as he was also the temple committee president.