All ‘chhanda chors’ in BJP: Congress ups ante over Ram Mandir ‘donation’ theft

The alleged theft of devotees' offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has snowballed into a major political flashpoint, with the Congress mounting a blistering attack on the BJP and accusing it of betraying the faith of millions of devotees.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari alleged that the controversy surrounding missing donations was not an isolated incident but part of a larger pattern of irregularities linked to the Ram Mandir project. He claimed the issue dated back to the early days of the temple movement and demanded accountability from those entrusted with managing the shrine.

In one of his sharpest attacks, Tiwari remarked, "I am not saying that everyone in the BJP is a 'chhanda chor', but all the 'chhanda chors' are in the BJP," accusing the ruling party of failing to protect donations offered by devotees.

Recalling his long association with the Ayodhya movement, Tiwari said he had closely witnessed the Ram Janmabhoomi campaign during his tenure as Uttar Pradesh's Tourism Minister. He alleged that while the BJP repeatedly used the Ram Temple issue as a political plank, it had delayed construction for years and only acted after the Supreme Court's verdict paved the way for the temple.

He further claimed that the consecration ceremony of the temple was conducted before the structure was fully complete because of electoral considerations, alleging that the Lok Sabha elections took precedence over religious traditions. Tiwari also criticised the exclusion of the Shankaracharyas from the ceremony and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally overseen the appointment of members to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

"If Prime Minister Modi has claimed credit for the Ram Mandir, he cannot distance himself from the actions of those he entrusted with its management," Tiwari said.

The Congress leader alleged that the theft of donations became institutionalised during the tenure of trust general secretary Champat Rai and claimed that crores of rupees meant for the temple had been siphoned off. He accused the Centre of attempting to let the controversy fade from public memory despite its deep emotional and religious significance.

Calling for accountability, Tiwari demanded an impartial Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court and insisted that those found guilty should face stringent punishment.

"The faith of crores of Indians is linked to these offerings. The truth must come out, and justice must be delivered," he said, adding that the Congress would continue raising the issue both inside Parliament and among the public.

The Congress attack comes as the investigation into the alleged theft gathers pace. A newly constituted probe team has been questioning individuals within the Ram Temple premises as part of what trust officials describe as the final phase of the inquiry.

According to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust member Mahant Dinendra Das, investigators are examining alleged irregularities involving gold, silver and cash offerings made by devotees.

In response to the controversy, the trust has introduced sweeping transparency measures for handling donations. Since 25 July, every stage of the collection process — from removing donation boxes to transporting, sealing and counting them — has been placed under continuous videographic surveillance.

An eight-member monitoring committee, comprising bank officials, trust representatives, private security personnel and other designated staff, now oversees the entire process. Around 40 donation boxes installed across the temple complex are being emptied in phases rather than simultaneously, while 360-degree cameras and additional CCTV systems have been deployed inside the counting room.

Officials from the State Bank of India supervise and seal the donation boxes before the counting process begins.

The tighter monitoring follows the launch of a Special Investigation Team probe into the alleged theft of temple offerings. Police have arrested multiple accused in the case, and the investigation remains underway, keeping the politically sensitive controversy firmly in the national spotlight.

With PTI inputs