The Congress on Saturday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored judicial inquiry into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue.
Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) office, senior Congress leader and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Abhishek Manu Singhvi, accompanied by DPCC president Devender Yadav and senior party leader Anil Bhardwaj, said the alleged irregularities had shaken public faith and warranted an independent probe.
"If the intention is to restore public trust, there should be a judicial inquiry led by a very senior Supreme Court person whose name inspires confidence. There should also be a forensic audit of the Trust's accounts from the time it was established till today," Singhvi said.
He also sought a restructuring of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, alleging that it was dominated by BJP- and RSS-backed members. Instead, he said, the trust should include eminent citizens, representatives of civil society and individuals of "impeccable integrity."
Alleging a pattern of corruption under the BJP, Singhvi said, "Under the BJP, no institution and no temple is safe." He claimed that while Ujjain had witnessed a land scam, Ayodhya had now seen the alleged theft of devotees' donations.
The Congress leader questioned why action had so far been limited to lower-level employees, asking why no senior office-bearers had been held accountable.
"The real question is not who committed the theft, but who allowed it to happen. There are MoUs and SOPs between the State Bank of India and the Trust. Yet, no responsibility has been fixed beyond the lowest level," he said.
Referring to the findings of the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) preliminary report, Singhvi alleged that there were 70 instances of theft from the temple's donation counting room between April 27 and June 5, and that eight people had been arrested in connection with the case.
He further claimed that former Trust general secretary Champat Rai, who oversaw land acquisition, temple construction and donation management, was not named in the preliminary report.
Singhvi also alleged that the SIT's preliminary audit had flagged expenditure incurred on Trust events, including around Rs 113 crore for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in January 2024 and more than Rs 10 crore for a flag-hoisting event held later that year. He described the findings as only the "tip of the iceberg" and alleged that the preliminary report had not fully examined the extent of the suspected irregularities.
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said the alleged embezzlement was not merely a case of financial misconduct but an issue that affected the religious sentiments of millions of Hindus.
"This is not merely a case of financial irregularity or embezzlement of crores. It is an attack on the faith of Hindus. The entire matter should be investigated under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge," Yadav said.
The Congress also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence over the issue, with Singhvi saying it was "intriguing, though not surprising," as the Prime Minister had often remained silent on such matters, including in Parliament.
Meanwhile, amid the controversy, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said the alleged theft of temple donations had "deeply hurt" the sentiments and faith of society, and called for stringent action against those found guilty after the investigation. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said he agreed with Hosabale's remarks.
The alleged embezzlement of Ram Temple donations came to light on June 7. An FIR was registered on June 25 after a preliminary report by a Special Investigation Team constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government. The investigation is currently underway.
(With inputs from PTI)
