TNI Bureau: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Saturday intensified its attack on the BJP-led Central Government over the alleged financial irregularities involving donations to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, demanding a Supreme Court-monitored independent investigation into the matter.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, Odisha PCC President Bhakta Charan Das, West Bengal Congress Media Department Chairperson Mita Chakraborty, Odisha PCC Media Cell Chairman Arabinda Das and party spokesperson Rajani Mohanty raised a series of questions regarding the alleged irregularities and sought accountability from the Centre.

Mita Chakraborty questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue, stating that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was constituted under the Centre’s supervision. She also questioned why Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, during his recent visit to Ayodhya, did not address the allegations or clarify the reported shortcomings in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report.

The Congress leaders asked who would take responsibility if irregularities had indeed occurred despite the Trust functioning under the Central Government’s oversight. They also questioned why resignations of senior Trust functionaries, including Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, were accepted if no wrongdoing had taken place. The party further asked why the government was reluctant to order an independent probe under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court.

The Congress alleged that while action had reportedly been recommended against a few junior employees, senior office-bearers of the Trust had escaped scrutiny. It questioned whether senior officials, including Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and other Trust functionaries, should also be held accountable if the allegations were found to be true.

The party placed five major demands before the Centre:

1) A public explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the formation and functioning of the Trust and his silence on the controversy.

2) Immediate registration of FIRs and legal action against all individuals allegedly involved in the irregularities.

3) An independent judicial investigation under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court.

4) Dissolution and reconstitution of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust with religious leaders, eminent citizens, administrative experts and independent members to ensure transparency and accountability.

5) A comprehensive forensic audit of all donations, offerings, land transactions and expenditure related to the Ram Temple, with the findings made public.

Referring to the SIT report, the Congress claimed that it had highlighted serious lapses in the cash-counting process and weaknesses in the security protocol governing temple donations. The party alleged that while the report identified multiple instances of irregularities involving cash handling, it recommended legal action only against a limited number of junior employees despite pointing to administrative shortcomings.

The Congress also questioned changes made to the security protocol governing the counting of donations, alleging that revised procedures weakened safeguards that had existed earlier. It further alleged that despite observations made by the SIT regarding supervisory responsibilities, no action had been recommended against certain senior Trust representatives.

Bhakta Charan Das said that the faith of millions of devotees who had contributed to the Ram Temple should not be compromised. He alleged that those responsible for any misuse of devotees’ donations must not be protected and asserted that accountability should extend to the highest levels if wrongdoing was established.

Drawing a historical comparison, Das referred to the enactment of the Nathdwara Temple Act, 1959, during the tenure of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, claiming that decisive action had been taken then to ensure transparency in the administration of temple donations. He urged the present government to demonstrate similar commitment towards protecting devotees’ contributions.

The Congress reiterated that the matter should not be confined to action against lower-level employees and insisted that a transparent, impartial and court-monitored investigation was necessary to restore public confidence.