New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday sharpened its offensive against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the alleged misappropriation of funds and offerings linked to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, accusing him of remaining quiet despite the charges and thereby extending “tacit consent” to them.
The party also trained its guns on the BJP’s ideological affiliates, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), coining a pointed Hindi slogan: “BJP, RSS, VHP ka sapna, chande ka maal apna” (The BJP, RSS and VHP’s dream is to treat donation money as their own).
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh made the allegations in a Hindi post on X. He claimed that the controversy extended beyond offerings kept at the temple and involved money collected from people across the country for its construction.
“It is not just the offerings at the Ram Mandir that have been stolen; the thousands of crores of rupees collected as donations from crores of citizens across the country for the construction of the Ram Mandir have also been plundered,” Ramesh said.
According to the Congress leader, opposition parties had repeatedly sought answers, and allegations had also been made against individuals associated with the BJP, RSS and VHP. Yet, he alleged, neither an inquiry had been ordered nor any corrective step taken.
“Theft of donations even before the offerings?” Ramesh said.
Land Deal Questions Return
The party renewed its questions over land transactions connected to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Ramesh referred to a transaction of March 18, 2021, alleging that Tiwari and Ansari purchased land from Kusum Pathak for Rs 2 crore at 7:10 pm, while the Trust — through Champat Rai — bought the same plot for Rs 18.5 crore just five minutes later, at 7:15 pm.
He appeared to be referring to Ram Mohan Tiwari and Sultan Ansari, reportedly the sellers in the transaction.
“How was a 825% markup a blatant act of plunder allowed to happen in just five minutes?” Ramesh asked.
He also sought to know whether the witnesses to both registration documents were the same individuals — then BJP mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay and Trust member Anil Mishra. He also asked why a probe report from 2021 had still not been placed in the public domain, five years after the episode, and when the SIT examining the land deals would disclose its conclusions.
Direct Attack On PM
Directly targeting the Prime Minister, Ramesh said: “We have a direct question for the Prime Minister: given that this theft of donations took place right under your nose, why did you choose to become complicit in this sin by offering your tacit consent?”
The fresh attack follows the Congress’s Monday offensive, when it questioned the silence of PM Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The party had then said it was the duty of citizens to punish “chanda chors blinded by the arrogance of power”.
Ramesh had demanded that a complete account of temple offerings be released, the roles of all those responsible examined, and no official spared scrutiny, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Earlier this month, the Congress alleged that figures such as former Ram Temple trust general secretary Champat Rai were being protected in the donation-theft investigation. It also questioned PM Modi’s silence, claiming it suggested that those responsible enjoyed his protection.
The party has further asked why an FIR was registered 21 days after a video concerning the allegedly stolen amount reached Rai on June 4. It has raised several objections to the SIT probe and insisted that only an independent, transparent investigation overseen by the Supreme Court can establish the facts.
The Congress’s sustained campaign against the BJP over the issue comes months before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, expected early next year.
