Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak launched a sharp political counterattack over the Shri Ram Mandir donation controversy while speaking to the media in Varanasi.

Responding to a journalist's question about Congress leader Ajay Rai's "chanda chor" (donation thief) allegation regarding the Shri Ram Mandir offerings, Pathak dismissed the charge and hit back at the Congress.

He said, "Ask him what happened to the donations collected for the Babri Masjid."

The exchange has intensified the political sparring between the BJP and the Congress, with both parties trading allegations over issues related to religious donations and accountability.