Lucknow: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an independent and comprehensive investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying the Prime Minister's silence over the issue was "unacceptable".
In a joint letter ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the two leaders urged the Prime Minister to order an independent probe into the financial affairs of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, including the handling of cash donations as well as offerings of gold and silver.
"Your silence now in the face of such a crime is unacceptable. It is your duty to ensure accountability and restitution," the letter said. The Congress leaders also referred to former Trust general secretary Champat Rai, describing him as a close associate of the Prime Minister.
Gandhi and Kharge said the Trust was constituted after the Supreme Court's 2019 verdict, with its formation announced by the Prime Minister in Parliament and trustees appointed by the Centre. They alleged that several members of the Trust were associated with the RSS, VHP and affiliated organisations.
The Congress leaders said lakhs of devotees who had donated their hard-earned money with faith and devotion felt betrayed by the alleged theft of temple donations. They demanded that the findings of the investigation and the Trust's accounts be made public so that devotees could know how their offerings had been utilised.
They also sought strict action against all those found responsible, irrespective of their position or influence, and said the credibility of both the government and the Trust depended on a transparent and swift response.
Kharge shared the letter on social media, reiterating the demand for an independent investigation and greater transparency in the Trust's financial affairs.
The letter comes as the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a batch of petitions seeking a fair and time-bound probe into the alleged donation theft case.
Meanwhile, the Nirmohi Akhara has moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre to reconstitute the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust as a public trust instead of its present structure. In its application, the Akhara argued that the existing composition of the Trust was inconsistent with the spirit of the Supreme Court's November 2019 Ayodhya verdict.
The Akhara has sought structural safeguards for greater oversight of the Trust's functioning, guidelines for the appointment of trustees, and directions that all rituals and religious ceremonies at the Ram temple be conducted strictly according to the traditions of the Ramanandi Sampradaya. It has also sought restoration of the original deities of Ram Lalla, contending that the Trust had no legal authority to replace them.
