New Delhi: Congress MP KC Venugopal on Monday sought a discussion in the Lok Sabha over alleged financial irregularities involving donations and valuables at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, calling for an independent investigation under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.
Venugopal submitted an adjournment motion notice, alleging that an organised racket was operating within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. He claimed that cash and jewellery offered by devotees had allegedly been misappropriated and demanded a probe capable of examining the role of senior individuals.
“There is an urgent need to discuss the shocking revelations of massive financial fraud, theft, and embezzlement of public donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya,” Venugopal said in his notice.
The Congress leader alleged that the existing Special Investigating Team (SIT) inquiry was inadequate, claiming that it was focusing primarily on outsourced employees while failing to establish whether influential individuals were involved in the alleged multi-crore irregularities.
Venugopal urged the Lok Sabha to direct the Union government to establish a high-level and independent inquiry headed by or conducted under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge. He said such an investigation was necessary to determine the facts, protect devotees’ offerings and establish accountability.
The demand comes amid a wider political confrontation between the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the Centre over the allegations. Opposition members have staged protests inside and outside Parliament, pressing for a discussion and seeking answers from the government.
On Sunday, Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi address Parliament on the alleged theft of assets associated with the temple.
Kharge argued that the Prime Minister should respond because the Union government was involved in the establishment and functioning of the trust overseeing the temple’s affairs.
The Congress has maintained that the allegations warrant a transparent and independent investigation rather than an inquiry limited to lower-level personnel. The party has also sought accountability over the management and security of donations and other valuables offered by devotees.
The allegations have become a fresh point of contention in Parliament, with the Opposition seeking a detailed discussion and the government facing demands to clarify the steps taken to investigate the matter.
The proposed Supreme Court judge-supervised inquiry, if accepted, would mark a significant escalation in the Opposition’s demand for an independent examination of the allegations.