The Congress on Sunday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party over the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying not everyone in the BJP is a “chanda chor”, but all those involved in the theft of donations are in the BJP. Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari claimed that the “theft” at the was not limited to just the donations, but it had begun as early as the time of the ‘Shila Pujan’.
Addressing the press conference, the Congress leader said, “I am not saying that everyone in the BJP is an embezzler, but all those involved in donation theft are in the BJP. The BJP will have to answer for this in the next election, and devotees will give a strong response.”
Further responding to the registration of FIRs over the protest in the , Tiwari said, “Registering cases in BJP-ruled states is nothing new. I do not consider this a crime. Protests have taken place in Parliament before, and what we did was lawful. Our intention was genuine, and such protests have happened in the past as well.”
Congress Attacks BJP
Alleging that the BJP government used Ram Mandir construction for electoral gains during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said that the poll dates coincided with the time of the Ram Mandir’s construction, and for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the election was more important than the temple; consequently, he performed the consecration ceremony of an incomplete temple, which he termed as an inauspicious act.
“The Shankaracharyas were not invited to the consecration ceremony, even though the rituals should have been performed by them,” Tiwari alleged, adding, “Prime Minister Modi took personal charge of the entire process, and every single member of the temple trust was appointed based on his personal preference.”
“If Modi ji has claimed the credit for this, how can he absolve himself of the sins committed by the very people to whom he entrusted the responsibility?” he said.
The theft of donations and offerings became institutionalised during Champat Rai’s tenure as general secretary, he alleged, and claimed that crores of rupees were siphoned off. The Modi government wants the donation theft issue to fade away with time and become history, but it is deeply linked to the faith of crores of Indians, the Congress leader added.
The accused have been identified, the stolen funds are accounted for, and ample evidence of the loot exists, Tiwari said.
“Answers must be given to the country’s 1.4 billion people. We will take this issue regarding offerings and donations to the public, persist in the fight until the guilty are punished, and raise this matter again in the House on Monday,” the Congress’ deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha said.
“The faith and sentiments of crores of people are linked to this; therefore, I demand an impartial investigation by an SIT under the supervision of the Supreme Court and that the guilty be given severe punishment,” he said.
The investigation into the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya is currently underway, with a newly constituted probe team questioning people inside the temple premises.