The Congress party on Friday escalated its demand for a thorough investigation into alleged financial irregularities within the Ram Mandir trust, calling for a Supreme Court-supervised probe and urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene. The party also sought the dissolution of the current trust managing the temple.
Information was available with The Chenab Times indicating that senior Congress leader Rajeev Shukla addressed a press conference where he alleged that irregularities amounting to hundreds, if not thousands, of crores of rupees had occurred. Shukla emphasized that the matter necessitated an independent inquiry under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court.
Shukla stated that the Congress had initially refrained from commenting on the issue to avoid politicization. However, he asserted that the subsequent registration of a First Information Report (FIR) by authorities constituted an admission that significant financial irregularities and embezzlement had indeed taken place.
“Once an FIR has been registered, it becomes the responsibility of all political parties to ensure that the truth is established and the guilty are punished,” Shukla remarked during the press conference.
The Congress leader directly appealed to Prime Minister Modi to personally intervene in the matter. He stressed the need to identify and bring to justice those responsible for the alleged misappropriation of donations made by devotees to the Ram Mandir.
Shukla maintained that while lower-ranking employees had reportedly been arrested, it was improbable that embezzlement on such a vast scale could have occurred without the knowledge, consent, or involvement of senior functionaries associated with the trust. “The real culprits must be punished and not merely junior employees,” he asserted.
Holding the Bharatiya Janata Party accountable for ensuring accountability, Shukla pointed out that the party governs Uttar Pradesh, the state where the Ram Mandir is located, and exercises control over the trust managing the temple. He further criticized the ruling party by remarking, “Earlier, it sought votes in the name of Lord Ram and now it is looting money in Lord Ram’s name.”
Referencing the BJP’s political slogan related to the consecration of the temple, Shukla questioned the action required against those who have allegedly “looted Lord Ram.” He reiterated the demand for the disbanding of the existing trust and stated a conviction that politicians should have no place in temple trusts.
“Politicians have no business being members of temple trusts,” Shukla declared. He further alleged that the BJP’s purported objective was to seize control of temple trusts, divert donations for political gain, and utilize them for political purposes. “This will not be accepted by the people of India,” he stated, reiterating the call for an investigation that identifies and punishes the masterminds behind the alleged embezzlement, rather than concluding with the prosecution of subordinate staff.
The Congress leader’s statements come amid an ongoing political controversy surrounding alleged financial irregularities linked to the Ram Mandir trust, which surfaced following police action and the registration of an FIR in connection with the matter.
The Chenab Times News Desk