UP Congress chief Ajay Rai and his delegation were detained in Ayodhya ahead of a planned visit to the Ram Temple. Party workers protested the ‘house arrest,’ while Rai alleged harassment to stop his visit over alleged temple donation scams.
Following the detention of Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai ahead of his planned visit to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, several party workers staged a protest outside the Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology guest house.
Party Workers Protest ‘House Arrest’
Congress worker Lalan Kumar claimed the Ayodhya administration placed his party’s delegation, including Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) President Ajay Rai, under house arrest shortly after they arrived to visit the Ram Lalla temple and meet local party leaders.
“Today, a Congress delegation was scheduled to visit the Ram Lalla temple to offer prayers and subsequently meet with local leaders. However, the Ayodhya administration has placed the Congress delegation and UPCC President Ajay Rai under house arrest at the university guest house,” Kumar told ANI.
He further stated that following the news of the detention, local Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest at the main gate of the university. “They have made it clear that they will continue their protest until Ajay Rai is released from the guest house and they are allowed to meet him,” he added.
Rai Alleges Harassment Over Planned Temple Visit
Rai alleged that he and other party leaders were forcibly detained by the police late Monday night around 11:30 PM and brought to the university guest house, claiming they were being harassed to prevent them from visiting the shrine.
The developments come amid an ongoing political controversy surrounding the alleged embezzlement of temple donations at the Ram Mandir.
In a video statement, Rai said, “We all intended to visit Ayodhya to seek the blessings of Lord Shri Ram. We had formed a delegation to offer prayers and seek darshan. We also wanted to pray to the Lord regarding the disrepute brought to this holy site by the RSS and BJP through the theft of offerings and donations, as well as land scams. Instead, our colleagues and I were placed under house arrest.”
He asserted that the delegation is prepared to face jail time to exercise their right to visit the shrine. “We are being subjected to harassment and are being prevented from visiting the temple. We are prepared to do whatever it takes, even if it means going to jail or fasting, to ensure we get to offer our prayers,” Rai added.
Wife Condemns Police Action on Social Media
Ajay Rai’s wife, Rina Rai, took to his official social media account on X to condemn the police action, asserting that the BJP government was trying to silence her husband and that the Congress would continue its fight against the alleged irregularities. (ANI)
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