NEW DELHI — Raising the political heat during the ongoing parliamentary session, senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP KC Venugopal on Monday moved an adjournment motion notice demanding an immediate discussion on alleged financial fraud and theft of public donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Seeking a suspension of regular proceedings in the House, the Congress General Secretary urged the Union Government to institute a high-level, independent inquiry supervised by a Supreme Court judge to investigate what he described as a "multi-crore embezzlement."
In his notice submitted to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Venugopal highlighted reports alleging an organized racket operating within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, claiming that substantial cash contributions and valuable jewelry donated by millions of devotees across the country had been systematically siphoned off.
Terming the issue a "grave sacrilege," Venugopal dismissed the ongoing probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) as an attempt to divert attention. He asserted that the current investigation appears to target only low-level outsourced personnel while potentially shielding key figures who masterminded the fraud.
"The House must discuss this grave sacrilege and direct the Union Government to institute a high-level, independent inquiry under the supervision of a Supreme Court Judge — capable of investigating powerful entities — to uncover the whole truth, safeguard the sacred offerings, and ensure strict accountability," the notice stated.
The motion follows escalating opposition protests both inside and outside Parliament, with the INDIA alliance pushing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a formal response.
A day earlier, Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to directly address Parliament regarding the allegations. Kharge stated that the alleged theft of public offerings has deeply hurt the faith of millions of believers across the nation and demanded full transparency over the administration of trust funds.
