Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal on Sunday alleged that after rolling out the Waqf Act for "acquiring land," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government has set its sights on "grabbing" a large amount of gold from the famous Lord Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala.

Addressing Congress workers in Nashik, Sapkal said, "When the British decided to make Delhi their capital, there was a demand to keep places of worship safe while acquiring land. For this purpose, the Waqf Board was formed in 1913 through the Rehabilitation Act. It was established to safeguard places of worship of all religions, and special rights were given to temples, mosques, and gurdwaras."