'BJP, RSS, VHP ka sapna, chande ka maal apna': Cong on Ram temple donation theft
'BJP, RSS, VHP ka sapna, chande ka maal apna': Cong on Ram temple donation theft
M.U.H
22/10/202642
The Congress on Thursday intensified its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over alleged theft of donations collected for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, questioning his silence and alleging that his “tacit consent” had allowed those responsible to escape accountability.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh targeted the BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) over the allegations, posting on X: “BJP, RSS, VHP ka sapna, chande ka maal apna” (The dream of the BJP, RSS and VHP is to treat donation money as their own).
In a separate post in Hindi, Ramesh alleged that not only had offerings at the temple been stolen, but thousands of crores of rupees collected from citizens for its construction had also been misappropriated.
He claimed that despite repeated questions from the opposition and allegations against individuals associated with the BJP, RSS and VHP, no investigation had been completed and no action had been taken. The claims were made by the Congress and were not independently established in the statement.
Ramesh also revived questions about land transactions involving the Ram temple trust. He asked whether Ram Mohan Tiwari and Sultan Ansari had purchased a plot from Kusum Pathak for Rs 2 crore at 7.10 pm on 18 March 2021, before the trust acquired the same land through Champat Rai for Rs 18.5 crore five minutes later.
“How was an 825% markup — a blatant act of plunder — allowed to happen in just five minutes?” Ramesh asked.
He further questioned whether the same individuals — then BJP mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay and trust member Anil Mishra — had witnessed both registration deeds.
The Congress leader also asked why the investigation report from 2021 had not been made public and when the findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the land deals would be disclosed.
“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?” Ramesh said.
The latest attack follows a series of statements by the Congress on the alleged theft of temple donations and the handling of the investigation. On Monday, the party questioned the silence of Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, demanded a public accounting of temple offerings and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
Earlier this month, the Congress alleged that individuals associated with the temple trust, including its former general secretary Champat Rai, were being shielded in the investigation. The party also questioned an alleged 21-day delay in filing a first information report after a video concerning the stolen amount reportedly reached Rai on 4 June.
The Congress has called for an impartial and transparent investigation under the Supreme Court’s supervision, arguing that the findings should be made public and that all those responsible should face accountability.
The political dispute comes ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled for early next year.
