New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored judicial enquiry into the alleged embezzlement of Ram Temple donations, and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue.
Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) office here, senior Congress spokesperson and CWC Member Abhishek Manu Singhvi, along with DPCC president Devender Yadav and senior leader Anil Bhardwaj, said the Prime Minister’s silence is intriguing, though not surprising, as he always remains quiet on such occasions even in Parliament.
“If the intention is to restore public trust, there should be a judicial enquiry 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.
Demanding a restructuring of the Trust, Singhvi said it must not be filled with BJP and RSS handpicked people, but should instead include eminent citizens, civil society members and persons of impeccable integrity.
He maintained that under the BJP, no institution and no temple was safe.
He alleged that Ujjain witnessed a land scam, while Ayodhya saw the theft of donations.
He said BJP leaders polluted the sacred precincts of the holy Ram Temple with theft of donations.
The Congress leader alleged that the arrests made so far were limited to lower-level functionaries and questioned 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 (SIT’s) preliminary report, Singhvi alleged that between April 27 and June 5 this year, there were 70 instances of theft from the temple’s donation counting room, and eight people had been arrested.
He claimed that former trust general secretary Champat Rai, who supervised the temple’s land acquisition, construction and donation management, did not figure in the preliminary report. The Congress leader alleged that the SIT’s preliminary audit flagged expenditures on functions organised by the trust, including around Rs 113 crore for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in January 2024 and over Rs 10 crore for a flag-hoisting event held later that year. He claimed these findings represented only the “tip of the iceberg” and alleged that the preliminary report did not fully examine the extent of the alleged irregularities.
Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said it was unacceptable if an incident concerning a place of deep religious faith did not elicit a response from the Prime Minister. “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.
Amid the row, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said on Friday that the alleged donation theft at the Ram temple has “deeply hurt” the sentiments and faith of the entire society, and called for ensuring that anyone found guilty after the investigation faces severe punishment.
Two days later, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said he agrees with Hosabale’s statement.
The alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations came to light on June 7.
An FIR was registered on June 25 following a preliminary report by the SIT, which was constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government. The investigation is underway.
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