Congress leader Venugopal demands Supreme Court-monitored probe into Ayodhya temple donations case

Congress leader and AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal has called for a judicial investigation supervised by the Supreme Court into allegations of misappropriation of donations meant for the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Speaking to reporters in Guruvayur on Saturday, Venugopal said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) ordered by the Uttar Pradesh government was not credible and was protecting the 'real culprits'.

Venugopal described the alleged fraud as 'the biggest temple scam the country has witnessed', adding that the money involved belonged to devotees. He alleged that the scam took place with the knowledge of office-bearers of the trust constituted by the central government to oversee the temple. He further claimed that CCTV footage had been deliberately erased to destroy evidence and that warnings from security personnel were ignored. The trust, he said, had not been dissolved despite the allegations.

The Congress leader accused the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh of shielding the accused. He questioned why they were unwilling to agree to a judicial inquiry under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court if they had 'nothing to hide'.

Venugopal said the Congress would raise the issue in the upcoming Parliament session beginning July 20 and seek a response from the Prime Minister. Alleging that the BJP was using religion for both political gains and corruption, he pointed to similar allegations emerging from Badrinath and Kedarnath, suggesting a pattern of mismanagement of temple affairs under the party's rule.

The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier formed an SIT to investigate the allegations. However, Venugopal dismissed the SIT probe as a 'mere farce' that was not proceeding in the right direction. He reiterated the need for an independent investigation to ensure justice for the devotees whose donations were allegedly misused.