NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday slammed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for its statement on alleged theft of Ram Temple donations, describing it as “disgraceful and shameful”.
“The clean chit given by the RSS is disgraceful and shameful. The fact is chanda chori on a large scale by people very much part of its network has taken place. It is a fraudulent outfit,” the party’s Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh, who is also General Secretary (Communications), posted on X.
Through the video statement issued by Sarkaryavah (General Secretary) of RSS, Dattatreya Hosabale, termed the theft “unfortunate” and added that the incident had deeply hurt the sentiments and faith of the entire society and Ram devotees.
“We are all extremely pained and angered by this event,” he said.
Attacking the Sangh, the ideological foundation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera said that the RSS is a “wolf in sheep's clothing”.
“Dattatreya Hosabale's performative condemnation is not about exposing the loot of Ram Mandir funds. It is desperate damage control aimed at sanitising it,” he also wrote on X.
The Congress leader added that the video's real purpose is to lend legitimacy to the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government's Special Investigation Team (SIT) - to probe alleged irregularities and missing valuables, including gold offerings and silver bars - constituted even before an FIR was registered, functioning without making its report public despite the sensitivity of the matter.
Khera further stated that the SIT is designed to protect the “crocodiles” while sacrificing a few “expendable pawns”.
“The loot of Ram Mandir funds has deeply hurt the faith of Hindus across the country. But what adds insult to this injury is the RSS's sudden outrage over the alleged theft of Ram Mandir donations. The truth is that if the RSS were sincerely committed to safeguarding devotees' donations, embezzlement on such a scale would never have taken place at a temple that is directly under its own watch. This is the real face of the RSS: Piety is a performance; plunder is the profession,” he added.
Speaking at a press conference, Congress leader Ragini Nayak sought dissolution of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust (SRJTKT) and a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter.
She also demanded a public accounting of the nearly Rs 1,400 crore collected in donations for the construction of the temple before the formation of the trust.
“Who exactly are they trying to protect in the end? (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi took full credit for the Ram Temple, but today he remains silent on the theft of offerings… When he takes the credit, he must also take responsibility. This is a betrayal of the people’s trust,” Nayak said.
Reiterating the party’s demands, Nayak said the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust should be dissolved immediately, its operations and financial transactions investigated under the supervision of the Supreme Court, and Modi should “break his silence” on the alleged theft of donations.