Congress steps up attack over Ayodhya donation row, seeks public SIT report

The Congress on Thursday intensified its attack over allegations of financial irregularities linked to the Ayodhya-based Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, with senior leaders Ajay Rai and Digvijaya Singh demanding accountability and a transparent investigation into the handling of donations received for the Ram temple.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Rai, who visited the Ram temple and offered prayers in Ayodhya, alleged corruption in matters connected to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi movement and demanded strict action against those found guilty.

Speaking to reporters, Rai reiterated his demand for an inquiry headed by a sitting high court judge and called on the Uttar Pradesh government's three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to make its findings public within a week.

"This is the birthplace of Lord Ram. BJP-RSS people are indulging in corruption here," Rai said. "There have been land scams and now offerings made by devotees are being stolen."

He alleged that crores of devotees across the country had contributed funds during the Ram temple movement and said the truth about the handling of those donations must be brought before the public.

His remarks came as senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh also expressed shock over the allegations, saying devotees who had donated to the temple felt betrayed by the controversy. "All of us who donated for the Ram temple are surprised and shocked by the kind of corruption that is allegedly taking place there," Singh told reporters.

The controversy erupted earlier this month after Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav alleged that crores of rupees donated by devotees to the Ram temple were unaccounted for and urged the courts to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.

Following the allegations, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member SIT on 13 June to investigate claims of missing donation funds and financial mismanagement. The probe was set up after the trust sought an impartial inquiry into the allegations.

As part of the investigation, the SIT has questioned trust general secretary Champat Rai, temple administrator Gopal Rao and several individuals involved in counting donations and maintaining financial records.

The trust has denied any wrongdoing and said it supports an independent investigation to establish the facts. According to the state government, the trust sought the probe to ascertain the truth and examine what it described as attempts to tarnish the image of the Ram temple.

The allegations have also prompted three separate complaints at different police stations seeking registration of FIRs, though no case has been registered so far.

During his interaction with reporters, Digvijaya Singh also claimed that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar continued to be associated with the trust. However, the trust's official records do not list Kumar among its current 15 trustees. Kumar, a retired IAS officer, had played a role in the administrative establishment of the trust during his tenure in the Union home ministry but does not currently hold a seat on its board.

With opposition parties continuing to raise questions over the trust's finances and the SIT expanding its inquiry, the donation controversy has emerged as a fresh political flashpoint around one of the country's most prominent religious institutions.

With PTI inputs