Congress Demands Supreme Court Monitoring of Ram Mandir Trust Probe
The Congress party on Friday called for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into allegations of financial irregularities within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which oversees the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Party spokesperson Rajeev Shukla claimed that the alleged embezzlement amounts to thousands of crores of rupees and involves individuals in high positions, beyond the trust's general secretary, Champat Rai.
Rejecting the ongoing Uttar Pradesh police probe, Shukla argued that the state government was attempting to shield the 'real culprits' by placing blame on lower-level employees. He demanded that the trust be dissolved and its management handed over to religious leaders such as the Shankaracharyas.
“Earlier they (the BJP) looted votes in the name of Lord Ram, now they are looting notes in the name of Lord Ram,” Shukla said, drawing criticism from BJP leaders who termed the remarks disrespectful. The BJP has not officially responded to the allegations but has previously defended the trust's transparency.
The Ram Mandir trust was established in 2020 to oversee the construction of the temple, a project central to the BJP's political agenda. The Congress's demand comes ahead of upcoming state elections, adding political significance to the controversy. No independent verification of the allegations has been made at this stage.
