Congress seeks Supreme Court-monitored probe into alleged Ayodhya temple theft

Congress questioned Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath's silence over the alleged theft of Ayodhya Ram temple donations. The party said only a Supreme Court-supervised probe could ensure transparency and accountability.

In Short

• Camera footage allegedly showed counting staff concealing bundles of currency notes
• Eight donation-counting workers were arrested after police registered an FIR
• Congress claimed senior trust figures escaped scrutiny while junior employees remained jailed

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 and demanded an independent investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court, news agency Press Trust of India reported.

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh demanded that a full account of the temple offerings be made public, the roles of all those responsible be investigated and no official be spared accountability.

In a Hindi post on X, Ramesh said, “Chanda chori, aastha dhokha. Ram ke naam se satta paayi, chanda chori par chuppi chaayi.” He alleged that the BJP, which came to power by invoking Lord Ram, would face its downfall because of the theft.

Ramesh alleged that the special investigation team 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 Uttar Pradesh 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,” Ramesh said, according to PTI.

He claimed that the theft was captured on camera 105 times. “Footage recorded between April 27 and June 5, 2026, shows staff members tasked with counting the funds hiding bundles of currency notes,” he said.

Ramesh said those responsible for the treasury had issued the clean chit. He added that since the treasurer was responsible for the funds, the most important questions should be directed at him.

“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 alleged theft remained unknown and that the country had not been informed about the total amount of money or the value of the precious items 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 alleged that low-level staff were in jail while those holding senior positions remained free. He said an FIR was registered on June 25 and eight people involved in counting the donations were arrested the next day, but no former office-bearer of the Trust was named in the FIR.

“Why have there been no rigorous interrogations by the ED or CBI?” he asked.

Referring to the BJP candidate's defeat in the constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Ramesh said Lord Ram had signalled his displeasure through the party's loss in Ayodhya. He claimed that the BJP 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 said.

Earlier this month, the Congress alleged that former Ram Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai and others were being protected in the investigation. It also criticised Modi over his silence on the issue and said the “arrogance of power is suicidal”.

The opposition party had asked why there was a 21-day delay in registering an FIR after a video related to the stolen amount reached Rai on June 4. Ramesh had also asked whether the investigation was limited to catching petty thieves or would fix responsibility on those under whose watch and patronage the alleged theft 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 could reveal the truth. It has also alleged that Modi's silence suggested the thieves “enjoy his protection”.

The Congress's attack on the BJP comes ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election early next year. The party has sought disclosure of all temple offerings, accountability for everyone responsible and a Supreme Court-supervised investigation into the alleged theft.

- Ends