Ram Temple Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Mishra said on Sunday said that there will be "no government interference" in the functioning of the Ram temple trust or its chief executive officer amid opposition demands for accountability and transparency over the alleged theft of donations.
Following the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also launched a campaign over the alleged irregularities in temple donations, with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal appealing to people to sign a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking strict action against those responsible.
Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal alleged that those responsible were being shielded from accountability. "We will not rest until we ensure they are sentenced to death (phansi ki saza)," he said.
The nationwide campaign began with a recitation of the Sundarkand in Rohini, Delhi, in the presence of Kejriwal.
The BJP criticised the AAP chief, calling him a "chunavi Hindu" who remembers Lord Ram only when elections approach.
And in a statement, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) backed the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and police investigation, expressing confidence that they would soon reach a "decisive turn".
The issue also figured during a meeting of RSS functionaries in Belagavi, Karnataka.
The RSS expressed "grief" over the alleged irregularities in the counting of donations at the Ram temple.
It also urged the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust "to ensure that no such incident occurs in the future which could hurt the reverence and deep faith of all Ram Bhakts" towards the temple.
'Why this silence?'
Meanwhile, Opposition parties have questioned the police and SIT investigations, alleging that the "big fish" are being shielded.
They have said they will raise the issue during the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament and seek answers from the prime minister.
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh reiterated the party's demand for an independent investigation supervised by the Supreme Court, a forensic audit, accountability and strict action against those responsible.
"Government efforts to suppress the matter make it evident that Champat Rai and other temple trustees harbour deep secrets; this is why the Modi government is taking no action against them, and their influence remains intact," Ramesh said.
"Prime Minister, the nation wants to know: Why this silence?" he said on X.
The Congress has been holding press conferences across the country to highlight the issue.
Ramesh said the party had held 48 press conferences across the country on the issue and demanded that the prime minister "break his silence".
"No matter how hard Prime Minister Modi, the RSS, and the BJP try, the Congress will not rest until it compels Prime Minister Modi to be held accountable for this betrayal," he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray launched the "Ram Raksha" agitation over the alleged donation embezzlement on July 5 from a Hanuman temple in Dadar, central Mumbai.
And amid criticism over the donation theft allegations, the temple trust announced a restructuring on July 6, including the creation of the CEO's post.
Meanwhile, Nripendra Mishra said the responsibilities and powers of the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ayodhya temple would be decided by the temple trust.
"The new CEO will also oversee financial arrangements," Mishra told reporters in Ayodhya, adding that there would be no "government interference" in the functioning of the trust or its CEO.
"In a way, the CEO will work as an assistant of the trust, sans government interference," Mishra said, adding that a three-member panel had been constituted to recommend suitable candidates for the post.
(With inputs from PTI)
