Dissolve Ram Temple Trust, arrest Champat Rai—Congress

New Delhi: The Congress Saturday intensified its attack on the BJP over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue and demanding that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust be dissolved.

Congress also sought the arrest of trustees, including trust general secretary and VHP vice-president Champat Rai, against whom allegations have surfaced. The party has also called for an investigation monitored by a sitting Supreme Court judge.

“My take is that it’s really tragic. People from all over the country, those who believe and those who have faith, made donations and now those donations have been stolen. I think it is tragic. I think it is shameful and the government needs to inquire into what has happened, how it has happened and why it has happened,” she said.

“If people have given, women have given from their savings, from their homes, poor people have given… If you collected them, it’s your responsibility to keep them (donations) safe,” she added.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also sharpened the party’s attack, invoking a famous dialogue from the Hindi film ‘Upkaar’ to target the BJP.

“Dete hain bhagwan ko dhokha, insaan ko kya chhodenge (those who deceive god will not spare humans)… These lines from the well-known film Upkaar are entirely accurate for the thieves of Shri Ram Mandir and their protectors. When there are grand claims of faith, patriotism and morality, but silence on accountability… for them, oaths, promises, patriotism and loyalty are merely words,” he said in a post on X.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi later in the day, Congress spokesperson Akhilesh Prasad Singh demanded that the alleged corruption be investigated under the supervision of a sitting Supreme Court judge, claiming the irregularities were “deep-rooted”.

He also sought the immediate arrest of those in the trust against whom serious allegations have been made and demanded that the trust be dissolved, saying it had lost the confidence of devotees.

“The country wants to know why Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent on such a big issue. He should step forward to ensure a fair investigation so that people’s faith remains intact,” Singh said.

He alleged that the trust ignored recommendations made by agencies appointed to scrutinise its financial processes.

Singh further claimed that after questions were raised over the handling of donations, the temple’s cash-counting agent was removed for speaking publicly, CCTV cameras were taken down and their recordings deleted, while the FIR registered by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) named only lower-level employees instead of those responsible for overseeing the Trust.

The controversy erupted after an SIT found irregularities in the management of donations at the Ram Temple.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)

Also read: Ram Temple Trust confirms resignations of Champat Rai, trustee Mishra as SIT probes donation theft