PM announced Ram temple trust in LS, must break silence in House: Congress

The Congress on Friday, 17 July demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi address Parliament on the alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations, arguing that he had personally announced the creation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and must now explain the controversy surrounding its functioning.

Ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said Modi had announced the formation of the Trust on the floor of the Lok Sabha on 5 February 2020 and was therefore duty-bound to take Parliament into confidence over the allegations.

"On 5 February 2020, the prime minister himself got up in the Lok Sabha, one of those rare occasions when he comes to Parliament. He came to Parliament to make the announcement that his government was setting up the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust," Ramesh told PTI.

Claiming that the trust was constituted under the prime minister's leadership, Ramesh alleged that its functioning had amounted to a betrayal of the faith of millions of devotees. "The trust was set up by the prime minister and it comprises people appointed by him. The trust's activities, its functions, its terms of reference were given by Modi," he said.

"It is this trust that has betrayed the faith of crores of Indians. There has been 'chanda chori, aastha dhokha' by the activities of this trust," Ramesh alleged.

He said Modi must respond to the issue in Parliament. "So the prime minister must break his silence on the floor of the House. It's only appropriate that he takes Parliament into confidence. What has happened? How has this 'chanda chori, aastha dhokha' taken place in the trust that he himself took great pride in creating?" Ramesh asked.

The alleged embezzlement of temple donations surfaced last month, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The probe has so far led to the arrest of eight accused, the resignation of two trust functionaries and the recovery of cash allegedly siphoned off from temple donations. The investigation is continuing.

The SIT submitted a preliminary nine-page report to the state government on 23 June, triggering a series of developments in the case.

Former trust general-secretary Champat Rai, whose resignation was accepted amid the controversy, has said he will respond publicly only after the SIT submits its final report. In a letter, he also questioned how the confidential preliminary report had entered the public domain.

The matter is also under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court. On 13 July, the apex court directed the SIT to submit a status report on its investigation while issuing notice to the trust on petitions seeking a fair and time-bound probe into the alleged donation embezzlement.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant sought the status report from the SIT, comprising Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, inspector-general of police Kiran S. and special secretary (finance) Neel Ratan.

Sources said the SIT is likely to submit an interim status report before the Supreme Court on Monday in compliance with its directions.

With PTI inputs