Ram Temple donation theft: Congress demands Supreme Court-monitored probe

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into alleged financial irregularities related to donations for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of stealing the money, stating that every thief involved was from the BJP. Tiwari, who previously served as Tourism Minister in Uttar Pradesh, claimed that the corruption issue dates back to the 1980s, when the foundation stone was laid.

He criticized the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to investigate the matter, calling it a "sham" and alleging that the head of the probe was under criminal investigation. Tiwari accused the BJP of excluding seers and saints from the Ram Mandir Trust and instead inducting individuals associated with the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

He questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's selection of every member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, suggesting he could not absolve himself of responsibility. Tiwari accused former general secretary of the temple trust Champat Rai of institutionalizing the theft and vowed that the Opposition would continue raising the issue in Parliament until an independent investigation was conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court.