New Delhi [India], November 11 (ANI): Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday launched a sharp attack against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stating that they cannot evade responsibility in the Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case when their members were involved in the construction and management of the temple.
The Congress has demanded that all financial records be made public and that the scope of investigation be expanded, Jairam Ramesh said.
In an X post, the Congress MP stated, "Stolen donations, betrayed faith. At Ayodhya’s Shri Ram Temple, from the trust to construction, donations, counting offerings and depositing them in the bank, BJP, RSS and VHP members were in charge at every level. They cannot now shirk responsibility for the theft of offerings."
He alleged that officials involved in the construction and the accounts department had earlier flagged the irregularities, and questioned the involvement of members of the Ram Mandir Trust, Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao.
He said, "The most surprising thing is that as early as 2021, Mahipal Singh, a former accounts officer associated with the RSS, had himself alleged irregularities and manipulation in the handling of offerings. The RSS itself had sent him to the temple to ‘serve’. He alleges that he had detected the theft in 2021 and reported it to Champat Rai and Gopal Rao, but instead of taking action against those responsible, he was removed. How, then, can Champat Rai and Gopal Rao not have been involved in the theft over five years? Is this not conclusive proof of collusion in theft and looting from top to bottom?"
"According to media reports, Deenanath Verma, the engineer overseeing construction, had also alleged that a 40 per cent commission was demanded for work at the trust office. He claims that he played an audio recording of this for Champat Rai, after which he himself was removed from the project. Was Champat Rai questioned directly about this? If they had known about the irregularities beforehand, how did Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao become witnesses rather than accused in the charge sheet?" he added.
He alleged the embezzlement accused's ties with the RSS and the Bajrang Dal.
He said, "According to media reports, the accused Anukalp Mishra had ties to Bajrang Dal and an RSS branch. Champat Rai himself attended his Bhagwat Katha on 30 April 2026. Is this not direct protection from above for the thieves? According to media reports, Subhash Srivastava, who was in charge of the counting staff, used to run an RSS branch at his home. The SIT has reportedly held him responsible for giving the keys to the donation boxes to unauthorised people. The accused Tinnu Yadav is alleged to have been Champat Rai’s driver."
"According to media reports, advertisements were issued for recruiting priests, a selection committee was formed, and a training committee was formed. But in the counting room where crores of rupees came in every week, there was neither an advertisement nor an interview. Should those who handed out jobs to their own associates not have been made accused?" Ramesh added.
He maintained that the responsibility cannot be limited to the eight accused named by the SIT investigating the case.
Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Uttar Pradesh government, the Congress leader said, "On 5 February 2020, PM Modi himself announced the formation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in the Lok Sabha. He personally handled the entire process in secret, and no information about its selection criteria or deliberations has been made public. The prime minister and chief minister were both eager to take credit and pose for photographs, but why have they remained consistently silent about the theft of offerings?"
"The chief minister had said in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly that the government formed the SIT in response to the trust’s appeal. Is it not true that the first SIT report was handed over to the very trust whose officials were accused of corruption? If that report has been shared with people the public regards as suspect, why is it being kept hidden from the public? The biggest question is why all the suspects and accused have links only to the BJP, RSS and Vishva Hindu Parishad?" he stated.
Demanding an expansion of the scope of investigation, he said, "Accountability can no longer be limited to the eight employees who have been arrested. The role of every person responsible for the temple’s construction, operation and the entire system for handling offerings must be investigated under the Supreme Court’s supervision."
"The Congress demands that all financial records be made public, the scope of the investigation be expanded, and every person found guilty be dealt with according to the law. The country must be given a full accounting of the donations and offerings received in the name of Lord Shri Ram. No position, political access or organisational protection can shield anyone from accountability," the X post read.
The Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case has been at the centre of controversies ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections.
Special Investigation Team (SIT) had filed a chargesheet stating that accused Avinash Shukla allegedly removed donation money on 85 occasions during the counting process.
The eight accused named in the chargesheet were Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Rama Shankar alias Tinnu. (ANI)
Congress demands Ram Mandir financial records be made public; Jairam Ramesh slams RSS, BJP over donation embezzlement
