Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 3: Opposition parties on Friday rallied behind Congress MP K.C. Venugopal after he sought a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations collected for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, with leaders questioning the credibility of the ongoing probe and demanding an independent inquiry.
A day after writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Venugopal reiterated his demand in a post on X, alleging that the alleged misuse of donations had betrayed the faith of millions of devotees.
"The massive chanda chori at the Ayodhya Ram Temple has shaken the nation. Crores of innocent devotees contributed their hard-earned savings in the name of Lord Ram. The image of 'Maryada Purushottam' has been misused and tarnished by those claiming to be protectors of the Hindu faith," he wrote while sharing a copy of his letter to the Prime Minister.
Supporting the demand, Congress MP Tariq Anwar said the appeal reflected the official position of the party.
He alleged that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to investigate the matter was intended to delay the probe and shield influential individuals.
"If there was a genuine intention to investigate, an FIR should have been followed by a CBI inquiry or an investigation supervised by a sitting Supreme Court judge, as the Congress has demanded. The SIT appears to have been formed to protect the big fish," Anwar told IANS.
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit also questioned the transparency surrounding the management of temple funds and the functioning of the SIT.
He said several questions remained unanswered, including how appointments were made, whether any audit mechanisms were put in place and how donations were recorded.
Addressing the BJP-led Central government, Dikshit alleged that the authorities had focused on constructing the temple for political gains but failed to establish proper governance and accountability systems for managing its finances.
Echoing similar concerns, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha expressed doubts over the effectiveness of the SIT investigation.
"Looking at the way the SIT has functioned over the past few days, it appears that the influential individuals will be protected while only the smaller players will be held accountable," he said.
Jha described Venugopal's letter as reflecting the concerns of people across the country and urged Prime Minister Modi to intervene in the matter.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, rejected the Opposition's allegations.
BJP MP Dinesh Sharma accused Opposition parties of attempting to undermine public faith in Hindu temples.
"They do not want devotees to visit temples or make offerings. Since they themselves have no faith, they are trying to discourage religious tourism, which provides livelihoods to many people. The Opposition does not want Uttar Pradesh to progress," Sharma alleged.
Responding to the Congress demand, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Joint General Secretary Surendra Jain said the decision to order a Supreme Court-monitored investigation rests solely with the judiciary and not with the Prime Minister.
"Venugopal ji is a senior politician. Does he not know that such a decision is taken by the Supreme Court itself?" Jain told reporters.
He further accused the Congress of politicising the issue and attempting to hurt the religious sentiments of devotees instead of focusing on identifying those responsible, if any wrongdoing has occurred.
The allegations regarding the handling of Ram Temple funds remain under investigation, and no judicial finding has established any embezzlement.