Congress targets BJP-RSS over Ram Temple donation scam

The Congress on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-RSS, alleging that the reported embezzlement of donations meant for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was a "massive scam" and questioning the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah over the controversy.

Addressing the media, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP of pursuing what he described as a three-pronged strategy of "vote chori, seat chori, chanda chori" (stealing votes, seats and donations), while also demanding a probe monitored by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.

Calling the alleged diversion of temple donations a grave betrayal of public faith, Ramesh said, "'Chanda chori' has taken place beyond any doubt. The RSS statement on the issue is disgraceful and shameful. These are the very people who claim to issue certificates of integrity, honesty and nationalism to others, but have now been caught in the most disgraceful manner."

Alleging that donations worth thousands of crores of rupees had been siphoned off, he said those responsible must face the strictest action.

"There should be an inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge. The toughest possible action should be taken against all the accused. But the silence of the Prime Minister and the mome minister is shocking," Ramesh said.

The Congress leader also questioned why Prime Minister Modi, who had taken political credit for the construction and inauguration of the Ram Temple ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, had not commented on the allegations.

"The prime minister took credit for building the Ram Temple and inaugurating it on 22 January 2024. We expect him to make a statement. Both he and the home minister have remained completely silent," he said.

Drawing parallels with the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme, Ramesh alleged that financial irregularities had become part of the BJP's political functioning.

"Remember the electoral bond scheme, which was struck down by the Supreme Court. Hundreds of crores were collected under the formula 'chanda do, dhanda lo'. This entire 'chanda business' is part of the BJP's DNA," he alleged.

He further claimed that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust functioned within a tightly knit BJP-RSS ecosystem and questioned how senior figures associated with the trust, including former principal secretary to the Prime Minister Nripendra Misra, could have remained unaware of the alleged wrongdoing.

"To believe that the RSS, the prime minister or the home minister did not know what was happening is beyond imagination. This was a tightly interconnected ecosystem where nothing escapes anyone's attention," Ramesh alleged.

Claiming that people across the country, including Congress leaders, had donated to the temple in good faith, he described the alleged embezzlement as "a scam perpetrated by the BJP-RSS ecosystem."

The controversy erupted after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government submitted its preliminary findings into the alleged misuse of temple donations. Based on the report, an FIR was registered on 25 June, following which eight people were arrested.

Police have so far recovered nearly Rs 80 lakh in cash, along with foreign currency, from six of the accused. Investigators say the probe is continuing and more arrests or recoveries cannot be ruled out as they examine the alleged diversion of funds collected in the name of one of India's most revered religious sites.

With PTI inputs