Derek O'Brien's Swipe at ED: 'When Will Temple Funds Be Frozen?'

New Delhi: Taking a dig at the government for allegedly avoiding a crackdown on the people who stole money from Ram Temple, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Mr Derek O'Brien on Friday questioned the Enforcement Directorate freezing three bank accounts of the party.

In a post on X, Mr O'Brien asked when it would freeze "Temple funds", in an apparent reference to the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

“ED freezes TMC's 3 bank accounts with HDFC. When will ED freeze temple funds,” wrote O'Brien on X. The MP is TMC’s national joint secretary.

His comments come amid the Opposition's demand for a judicial probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the Ram Temple's donation management system.

The ED on Wednesday said it has frozen three bank accounts of the TMC, with deposits worth Rs 440 crore, under the anti-money laundering law following searches in an alleged funds misappropriation case. The central agency said in a statement that the orders were issued under Section 17 (1A) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The section authorises the ED to freeze an asset, such as a bank deposit, when it is not practicable to seize such a property, and it is essential that the asset is not transferred or otherwise dealt with.

However, after the TMC challenged the ED’s move, the Calcutta High Court allowed the party to access these accounts specifically for day-to-day operations, running expenses, and legal costs, under supervision of a retired judge.