Congress seeks Supreme Court-monitored probe into alleged Ram temple donation theft

Congress demanded a Supreme Court-supervised investigation into the alleged theft of Ram temple donations. The party said audit warnings and accountability failures required full public disclosure.

The Congress on Tuesday stepped up its attack on the Modi government over the alleged theft of donations to the Ram temple, saying those responsible could not evade accountability, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

The party demanded an independent investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court and said audit warnings, alleged commissions in contracts, the extent of the suspected misappropriation and a full account of valuable donations must be made public.

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ajay Singh Bisht in a Hindi post on X. "Chanda Chori, Aastha Dhokha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ajay Singh Bisht -- break your silence! The nation wants to know: who are the 'chanda chors'? Who are their accomplices? Why is there no impartial investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court?" he said.

Ramesh asked how the alleged thefts continued despite repeated warnings, who was responsible and why the main culprits were still being protected. He also asked why the advice of an audit firm was ignored.

"A few months after the Trust was formed on February 5, 2020, a private audit firm provided advice in November 2020 regarding internal audit and risk management. The firm explicitly stated that the management was highly unprofessional, there was no clear definition of individual responsibilities and there was no systematic record of donations," Ramesh said.

He said the firm had also warned about unprofessional staffing and poor data management. It had recommended standard operating procedures for handling data and personnel, as well as maintaining a proper stock register for donations.

"Even years later, no SOPs have been implemented," he said.

Ramesh claimed that the Special Investigation Team formed by the government in 2026, "ostensibly to cover up the matter", had acknowledged that cash was removed from the counting room on 105 occasions. Employees deliberately stood in front of cameras to block the view, he alleged.

According to PTI, Ramesh also referred to allegations by Dinanath Verma, an engineer associated with the temple construction, who claimed that he was removed after raising concerns about suspected financial irregularities.

Verma alleged that he had informed Champat Rai that a 40 per cent commission was being taken from contracts, "ghost workers" were being listed and the quantities of materials were being inflated in bills, Ramesh said.

Ramesh also raised the issue of receipts not being issued for precious donations. He said the investigation had found several instances in which highly valuable items were donated without receipts being given to donors.

"When the risks were explicitly pointed out in writing as early as 2020, why was no action taken? Why was the person who raised the complaint the one who ended up being removed? And why were no receipts issued for the valuable donations made by the devotees?" he asked.

"While the thieves continued their theft, those associated with the RSS-BJP, who once proclaimed 'Main bhi chowkidar', remained fast asleep. This cannot be a mere coincidence," Ramesh said.

He claimed that those entrusted with safeguarding the temple's assets and overseeing the Trust had allowed a situation that raised serious questions about the security of offerings and valuable donations. He asked whether this was negligence or whether those responsible were being protected.

Ramesh demanded an impartial investigation to establish who was being protected and whether any prominent people were involved or complicit.

"The people of this country have no faith in an investigation conducted by your government's SIT. When, despite warnings, formal complaints and 105 incidents captured on CCTV, serious questions remain regarding the role of those in positions of high responsibility, how can the entire matter be considered resolved simply by taking action against a few low-level employees?" he said.

Ramesh said the Congress wanted an independent and impartial investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court. He demanded that the audit warnings, alleged commissions in contracts, the full extent of the suspected misappropriation and complete details of valuable donations be made public.

He asserted that the full details of the alleged theft, which he said had continued for six years, must be revealed. The role of every responsible person should be investigated and those found guilty should be punished according to the law, he added.

"The nation is demanding an account of the offerings made in the name of Ram. The faith of the devotees does not grant anyone the right to evade accountability," Ramesh said.

Earlier this week, the Congress had accused Modi of choosing to cover up the "sins of the thieves" who allegedly stole donations from the Ram temple in Ayodhya instead of ordering a comprehensive investigation. It had also demanded that the Prime Minister break his silence.

The party alleged that people such as former Ram Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai were being protected in the investigation. It also asked why there was a 21-day delay in registering an FIR after a video relating to the stolen amount reached Rai on June 4.

The Congress has repeatedly questioned the SIT investigation and said only an impartial and transparent inquiry supervised by the Supreme Court could reveal the truth. It has also claimed that the Prime Minister's silence suggested that those responsible enjoyed his protection.

The Congress's attack on the BJP comes ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections early next year. The party has reiterated its demand for a Supreme Court-supervised investigation, a complete account of the donations and legal action against everyone found responsible.