Congress Demands Ayodhya Ram Temple Financial Records be Made Public
Jairam Ramesh alleged that officials involved in construction and the accounts department had earlier flagged irregularities
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday launched a sharp attack against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that they cannot evade responsibility in the Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case, as their members were involved in the temple's construction and management.
The Congress has demanded that all financial records be made public and the scope of the investigation be expanded, Jairam Ramesh said.
In a post on X, the Congress MP alleged that members of the BJP, RSS and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) were involved at every level, from managing the temple trust and construction to collecting donations, counting offerings and depositing the money in banks.
"Stolen donations, betrayed faith. At Ayodhya's Shri Ram Temple, from the trust to construction, donations, counting offerings and depositing them in the bank, BJP, RSS and VHP members were in charge at every level. They cannot now shirk responsibility for the theft of offerings," he stated.
Ramesh alleged that officials involved in construction and the accounts department had earlier flagged irregularities. He also questioned the role of Ram Mandir Trust members Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao.
Referring to allegations made by former accounts officer Mahipal Singh, Ramesh said irregularities in the handling of donations were reportedly detected as early as 2021.
He alleged that Singh had informed Champat Rai and Gopal Rao about the suspected theft but was subsequently removed instead of action being taken against those responsible.
Ramesh also referred to allegations by Deenanath Verma, the engineer overseeing construction, who reportedly claimed that a 40 per cent commission was demanded for work at the trust office.
He questioned whether Champat Rai had been directly questioned over the allegations and why certain trust officials were named as witnesses rather than accused in the chargesheet.
The Congress leader further alleged that some of the accused had links with the RSS and Bajrang Dal. Citing media reports, he referred to the alleged associations of Anukalp Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Tinnu Yadav with members of the temple management.
Ramesh also questioned the recruitment process for staff involved in counting donations, alleging that while advertisements and selection committees were formed for recruiting priests, no similar process was followed for employees handling the temple's offerings.
He maintained that accountability in the case should not be restricted to the eight accused named by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Uttar Pradesh government, Ramesh said the Prime Minister had announced the formation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in the Lok Sabha on February 5, 2020.
He alleged that the selection criteria and deliberations behind the formation of the trust had not been made public.
Ramesh also questioned the Uttar Pradesh government's handling of the investigation, asking why the first SIT report was reportedly handed over to the trust whose officials were facing allegations.
He demanded that the report be made public and questioned why the investigation had not examined the alleged links of all those involved.
Calling for greater accountability, the Congress leader demanded that the investigation cover every person responsible for the temple's construction, administration and donation management under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
"The Congress demands that all financial records be made public, the scope of the investigation be expanded, and every person found guilty be dealt with according to the law. The country must be given a full accounting of the donations and offerings received in the name of Lord Shri Ram. No position, political access or organisational protection can shield anyone from accountability," the X post read.
The Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case has become a subject of political controversy ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
The SIT has filed a chargesheet alleging that accused Avinash Shukla removed donation money on 85 occasions during the counting process.
The eight accused named in the chargesheet are Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Rama Shankar alias Tinnu.