Congress questions PM Modi's silence on Ayodhya temple embezzlement

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal on Saturday accused alleged embezzlement of donations to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya of being the "biggest loot of a shrine ever seen in India." He questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue, demanding an answer in the upcoming Parliament session.

Speaking to reporters outside the Guruvayoor temple, Venugopal claimed that only a Supreme Court-monitored probe could uncover the true culprits. He asserted that the Congress would raise the issue nationwide, emphasizing its impact on millions of believers. Venugopal criticized the current SIT formed by Uttar Pradesh police, suggesting its intention is to protect those responsible.

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We are raising and will continue to raise the issue across the country. This loot has affected crores of believers in the country. But the PM and the Home Minister are silent on it. Only an SIT of Uttar Pradesh police has been constituted and the intention behind it is to save the actual culprits.

Venugopal alleged that the money and gold looted were collected by Sangh Parivar organizations like the VHP and RSS over the past 20-25 years. He further claimed that the temple trust office bearers, appointed under the Prime Minister's supervision, were aware of the misappropriation. He accused the BJP and RSS of not being genuine devotees but rather using Hinduism for political gain and dividing people for votes.

The Congress leader stated that the issue is not political for his party, unlike the BJP and RSS, whom he accused of exploiting religious sentiments for political purposes. He also pointed to the silence of the BJP in Kerala as an indication of their intent to shield the culprits. Venugopal added that similar allegations of looting have surfaced regarding the Badrinath and Kedarnath temples.

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They are only interested in looting in the name of Hindus and dividing people for votes. This is not just a loot, but an attack on the faith of the devotees.