Bhubaneswar: Congress Sunday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on the issue and the formation of a new temple trust after dissolving the existing one.
Questioning Modi’s “silence” on the issue, the opposition party said that it was the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) that “formed” the Ram Mandir trust and “appointed” all its members.
“The roles and responsibilities of the appointed people were also defined by the PMO. Now, a massive financial scandal has broken out, and the prime minister has not uttered a single word till now,” said West Bengal Congress leader Mita Chakraborty at a press conference here.
She alleged the BJP, which sought votes from people in the name of Lord Ram, failed to protect the donations offered by crores of Hindus for building the Ayodhya temple.
“Lord Ram is not a political tool or political figure. He represents the faith and dignity of millions of Hindus in India and abroad. If a donation offered to him has been stolen, whom should we blame? The BJP,” Chakraborty said.
Neither the prime minister nor the double-engine government has taken accountability for the financial irregularities, she said.
The Congress leader said that the “irregularities” that have come to light so far could be just the “tip of the iceberg” and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored judicial inquiry into the “scam”.
“The acceptance of the resignation of the trust’s functionaries also shows their involvement in the scam,” she said, adding that action has been taken against only a few lower-ranking officials while people at the helm have gone scot-free.
“Such a massive financial scam could not have happened without getting protection from influential people. Therefore, we demand that an FIR be registered against all such persons and they should be put behind bars,” she said.
The Congress leader also demanded a detailed audit of all donations and offerings and its findings be made public.
“We also demand a statement from the prime minister on this issue and the formation of a new body or trust after dissolving the existing one,” Chakraborty said.
Odisha Congress chief Bhakta Charan Das, who was present at the press conference, said his party would take the issue to every village of Odisha in the coming days.
