NEW DELHI: Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has launched a blistering attack on the Centre over the alleged Ram Mandir donation controversy, drawing a parallel between the government and Mahmud of Ghazni and accusing the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal of “looting in the name of Ram”.Speaking to reporters, the senior Congress leader said: “The situation is such that schools have been opened without uniforms, teachers, toilet facilities, or drinking water; they are playing with the children’s future. The government is playing a cruel joke on the farmers… everyone in this state is now engaged in looting. Mahmud of Ghazni looted the Somnath Temple, but now the RSS, VHP, and Bajrang Dal are looting the Ram Temple. They are all engaged in looting in the name of Ram”.Baghel also highlighted the hardships faced by farmers, noting the added burden of counterfeit fertilisers, adverse weather conditions, and the ongoing diesel and petrol crisis. “Farming has become expensive, and fertilisers are becoming costlier,” he added.
Ram Mandir donation controversy
The row erupted after allegations surfaced regarding financial irregularities and missing donation funds at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya. On June 7, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, citing media reports, claimed that crores of rupees donated to the Ram temple had gone missing and urged the courts to take cognisance of the matter.The Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 13 following a request from the temple trust itself to probe the allegations . The SIT, comprising Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police Kiran S, and Special Secretary (Finance) Neel Ratan, submitted a preliminary report on Tuesday.According to officials familiar with the report, the SIT has covered alleged cash theft, the disappearance of ornaments donated by devotees, and a review of administrative practices at the temple . The team has recommended appointing a chief executive officer, introducing professional management systems, conducting mandatory weekly audits of donations, and maintaining daily records of offerings . Officials said the SIT may also recommend extending CCTV footage retention at the temple complex from 45 days to 180 days.The SIT has questioned around 150 people, including Trust officials, temple staff, and others associated with the temple administration . Reports suggest irregularities in donation amounts have been found, with suspicions that some CCTV footage may have been deleted . An FIR is likely to be lodged against Tinnu Yadav, an aide of Trust general secretary Champat Rai.Serious allegations have also surfaced regarding land transactions. It emerged that land purchased for Rs 2 crore on March 18, 2021, was resold to the temple trust on the same day for Rs 18.5 crore — a jump of Rs 16.5 crore within hours . Similar allegations exist over land valued at Rs 2.9 crore being purchased for Rs 24 crore, and land worth Rs 9 crore bought for Rs 55 crore . Allegations also include the disappearance of 60 kilograms of silver bars donated for the foundation-laying ceremony, which are unaccounted for in trust records, and 1,250 ashtadhatu bricks studded with gold, silver and diamonds.
Political reaction
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has also targeted the BJP over the issue, alleging attempts to “cover up” the matter. “Another layer has been peeled back. If the layers of the ‘great sins’ of the BJP members and their associates continue to be unveiled like this, then instead of ‘investigation,’ the work of ‘covering up’ will begin even more rapidly,” Yadav said in a post on X.Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh also expressed shock over the alleged financial irregularities, saying: “All of us who donated for the Ram temple are surprised and shocked by the kind of corruption that is allegedly taking place there”.
Supreme Court petition
A fresh petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored investigation into the alleged financial irregularities of the Trust . The petition, filed by advocates Ajay Kumar Rai and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, seeks registration of an FIR and the formation of a Special Investigation Team under the CBI to probe the reported missing funds and financial mismanagement.The petition also seeks direction to the Trust and the Uttar Pradesh government to preserve all physical, digital and financial records, including donation registers, audit reports, CCTV footage, and bank records.Baghel also highlighted the hardships faced by farmers, noting the added burden of counterfeit fertilisers, adverse weather conditions, and the ongoing diesel and petrol crisis. “Farming has become expensive, and fertilisers are becoming costlier,” he added.