As the investigation into the alleged misappropriation of Ram Mandir donations widens, the Congress on Saturday intensified its attack on the BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Centre, with senior leaders Pawan Khera and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra raising questions over the temple's administration and demanding an impartial probe.
Addressing reporters, Congress leader Pawan Khera questioned the administrative oversight of the Ram Mandir project and alleged that the temple trust had been constituted with individuals close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The Ayodhya project, from its inception, has been under the supervision of the RSS and the direct oversight of the PMO. The trust was formed with individuals close to the Prime Minister, like Nripendra Misra and Champat Rai, a former RSS pracharak. Now, allegations of financial discrepancies have surfaced. It wasn't us who first raised this, and it was someone from within the temple, Mahipal Singh, who reported that donation money was being stolen. Instead of taking action, he was removed," Khera said.
He also questioned the accountability of those overseeing the temple project.
"One has to wonder where this money is going and who is truly involved, reaching as far as Delhi and Nagpur. We aren't the ones hurting the Hindu faith, those who stole are. Questioning theft isn't an attack on faith. They use faith as a shield for their wrongdoings," he said.
Khera further alleged that religion was being used to shield wrongdoing.
"They've used faith to incite riots and now to cover up theft. Faith shouldn't be used as a weapon or a shield. If anyone has manipulated faith, it's those in Nagpur and the Prime Minister himself," he said.
Earlier in the day, Congress general secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also questioned the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram Mandir, suggesting that such irregularities could not have been carried out by lower-level employees alone and hinting at the possible "complicity of big players".
In a post on X, she called for an impartial investigation and strict action against those found guilty while cautioning against any attempt to suppress the matter.
Highlighting the emotional and religious significance of the temple for devotees, she termed the alleged act deeply disturbing.
"The act of deceitful theft and looting committed against the faith of Maryada Purushottam Lord Ram, who upholds truth and righteousness, and his millions of devotees, has stunned the entire nation," she wrote.
The Congress leaders' remarks came a day after Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility in connection with the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram Mandir.
The resignations followed the registration of an FIR under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh government.
Those named in the FIR are Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others.
The FIR followed allegations by former Samajwadi Party MLA Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between Rs 7.5 crore and Rs 27 crore in donations had been misappropriated from the Ram Mandir.
In response to the allegations, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 14 to probe the alleged scam following a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
(With inputs from ANI)