The Congress on Monday questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the alleged theft of donations from the Ram temple in Ayodhya, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh demanded an independent investigation supervised by the Supreme Court. He said a full account of the temple offerings should be made public, the roles of all those responsible should be examined and no official should be shielded from accountability.
In a post in Hindi on He added, “The BJP, which rose to power by invoking the name of Lord Ram, will meet its downfall due to the sin of this theft.”
Ramesh alleged that the special investigation team, or SIT, was constituted in a manner that suited those accused in the case.
“The massive theft at the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya came to light on June 4, 2026. Nine days later, on June 13, 2026, the UP government, acting upon a request from the Trust, formed an SIT. On August 17, the Home Department submitted the final report to the same Trust; as expected, it granted a clean chit to Champat Rai and Anil Mishra,” PTI quoted him as saying.
Ramesh claimed that the theft was captured on camera 105 times. He said footage recorded between April 27 and June 5, 2026, showed staff members responsible for counting the funds hiding bundles of currency notes.
He said those responsible for the treasury had issued the clean chit and argued that the treasurer, who was responsible for the funds, had to answer the most significant questions.
“Saints in Ayodhya have pointed out that the treasurer, Govind Giri, ought to have been aware of the inflow and outflow of funds. Nevertheless, on July 7, he claimed that Champat Rai had no role in this scandal,” Ramesh said.
He claimed that the extent of the theft remained hidden and that the country had not been told the total amount of money or the value of the precious items allegedly stolen.
“A preliminary report dated June 23 clearly indicated that oversight protocols were not being followed and that the control room was frequently left unattended. Why has there been no investigation into who else was involved or held responsible? How could the investigation be closed without ever disclosing the actual figures regarding the theft?” he asked.
Ramesh said low-level staff were in jail while those in senior positions remained free. “An FIR was registered on June 25, and eight individuals involved in the counting process were arrested the following day; however, no former office-bearer of the Trust is named in the FIR. Why have there been no rigorous interrogations by the ED or CBI?” he said.
The Congress leader said Lord Ram had signalled his displeasure in Ayodhya through the BJP’s electoral defeat, but the party had failed to understand the warning and allowed the alleged theft of temple offerings to continue.
“One cannot expect the BJP government to investigate those linked to the Sangh Parivar who are involved in the theft of these offerings. Therefore, the Congress demands that the entire matter of the theft of offerings at the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya be investigated in an independent, impartial and transparent manner, under the supervision of the Supreme Court,” he said.
Ramesh reiterated that a full account of all offerings must be made public, the roles of all those responsible must be examined and no official should be protected from accountability.
“More than four and a half months have passed since the theft of donations at the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya came to light, yet Chief Minister Ajay Singh Bisht and Prime Minister Narendra Modi remain silent,” he said.
“It now rests with the citizens of this country to hold these individuals, who have stolen donations while blinded by the arrogance of power, accountable and ensure they are punished,” Ramesh added.
Earlier this month, the Congress alleged that people such as former Ram Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai were being shielded in the investigation. It also criticised Modi’s silence, saying the “arrogance of power is suicidal”, PTI reported.
The opposition party had asked why there was a 21-day delay in registering an FIR after a video concerning the stolen amount reached Rai on June 4. Ramesh had also asked whether the investigation was intended only to catch petty thieves or to establish the accountability of those under whose watch and patronage the events allegedly took place.
The Congress has raised several questions about the SIT investigation and maintained that only an impartial and transparent probe supervised by the Supreme Court can establish the truth. It has also claimed that the Prime Minister’s silence suggests that the alleged thieves “enjoy his protection”.
In summary, the Congress has sought disclosure of the value of the missing donations, accountability at every level and a Supreme Court-supervised investigation, while questioning the silence of the Prime Minister and the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
– Ends
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