Congress Demands Supreme Court-Monitored Probe into Ayodhya Temple Donations

Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday reiterated his party's demand for a time-bound inquiry supervised by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the alleged embezzlement of donations meant for the Ayodhya Ram Temple. Speaking at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Khera accused the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust of financial irregularities, including questionable land deals and refusal of free services.

Khera, who heads the Congress's media and publicity wing, called for a complete forensic audit of accounts, donations, offerings, and land transactions involving the trust. He also demanded the dissolution of the current trust and its replacement with one comprising reputable individuals and Shankaracharyas.

"If the government has nothing to hide, why are they running away from our demand for an independent probe?" Khera asked, expressing lack of faith in the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry.

The Congress leader questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP and RSS leaders after the allegations surfaced. "Why is the Prime Minister quiet? You can't arrest junior officers and let senior people who were supposed to be watchdogs go scot-free," he said.

Khera also pointed to the removal of former trust general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, and the arrest of eight to nine individuals, as evidence that something was amiss.

According to Khera, a private company had offered to construct the temple free of charge, and a Rajasthan stone supplier had offered free stone, but the trust declined these offers. He also alleged that the trust purchased land seven to eight kilometres from the temple at eight times the market price.

The Congress's demand comes amid ongoing controversy over the management of funds for the Ram Temple, which is being built at the site of the demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.