Congress accuses BJP-RSS of shielding culprits

The Congress today questioned the investigation into the theft of offerings at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, alleging that lower-level employees were being made scapegoats while senior functionaries, including former Ram Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai, were being shielded from accountability.

- AJIT MAINDOLA

Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Dr Ragini Nayak demanded that the accounts of nearly Rs.1,400 crore collected from devotees across the country for the construction of the Ram Temple before the formation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust be made public. She also sought a detailed account of the gold and silver bricks donated by the Sindhi and Vaishya communities.

Calling for the immediate dissolution of the Trust, Dr Nayak demanded that its functioning and all financial transactions be investigated under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court of India. She also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the issue and clarify the government's position.