Congress Demands Judicial Probe Into Ayodhya Temple Donations

The Congress party accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday of direct responsibility for widespread financial irregularities in Ayodhya Ram Temple donations after a three-member Special Investigation Team has started probing the alleged misappropriation.  

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai and Congress Legislative Party leader Aradhana Misra Mona broke the party's silence on the matter.

Rai said the administration unfairly targeted junior officials while protecting high-profile figures who orchestrated the theft.

"The atmosphere of faith was created by the BJP-RSS. There has been cheating on that. Faith has been sold. Those who came in the name of religion have bartered it. You can see the situation in relation to the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. There is robbery…that too, organised robbery. To say that some officials stole something; it is wrong. All the big people are involved," Rai continued, speaking at a press conference at the Congress office on Akbar Road.

Targeting the Trust

Rai directed his accusations at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Chairman Nripendra Misra, noting his five-year tenure as principal secretary in the Prime Minister's Office.

"The most important person in the Ram Temple Trust is a retired bureaucrat Nripendra Mishra. He worked as a principal secretary in the PM’s office for five years. He was made the chairman of the Trust. If anyone is responsible, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi…," Rai said. "The other people (in the Trust) are Gopal Rai, who is a controversial person. Then, there are Anil Mishra and Champat Rai. All those in the Trust are people associated with the PM. Then, some drivers and officials have been made to do all this," Rai added.

The state Congress chief alleged irregularities totalling Rs 1,400 crore in funds collected before the temple's construction began. "Where did that money go? That money was never accounted for. They stole money in the name of donations," Rai said, adding that money was stolen in the name of Lord Ram. He demanded that the SIT submit its findings within a week. "A probe should be done by a sitting judge of a high court," he added.

The SIT Mandate

Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant heads the newly formed investigative panel. The team includes Lucknow Range Inspector General of Police Kiran S. and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan Kumar.

The Uttar Pradesh government mandated the SIT to scrutinise all financial transactions, expenditure logs, and fund utilisation records connected to the temple. Officials directed the team to submit a preliminary report within seven days and deliver a final report within 15 days of its formation.

Silence and Secrets

Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said on June 10 that he knew about the donation misuse but refused to disclose specific names.

"I am a very weak person. If I speak the truth, I will get into trouble because they are very powerful people. I do not have the courage to speak the truth right now," Singh said,

"A former BJP MP said that if he named people in this case, high-profile people would be caught. He should name them and why not," Rai added. "The SIT being formed is an admission that some fraud has happened… All the big fish should be caught and sent to jail."