CPI General Secretary D Raja seeks judicial probe into Ram mandir donation row

Questioning who should be held accountable for the alleged misappropriation of devotees' donations, Raja said the truth must come out and asserted that there was widespread anger over the issue.

"The embezzlement of donations made by the devotees of Lord Ram and who could be held answerable for this... Only eight people were involved in such a huge loot? This is just the tip of the iceberg. People should know the truth; that is why our party, from the beginning, has been demanding a high-level judicial probe. There is anger across the country. This is not a small thing," Raja told ANI.

Following the allegations, on June 14, the state government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged scam involving offerings made at the Ram Mandir, following a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Trust.

Congress leader Rajendra Pal Gautam reacted to lawyers in Ayodhya refusing to represent the accused in the alleged Ram Mandir donations embezzlement case, claiming the decision reflected widespread public anger over the issue.

Alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had betrayed public trust, Gautam said people across the country would hold the party accountable.

"I believe this signifies only one thing: it is not just the legal fraternity but the entire nation that is furious and has realised the true nature of the BJP. They do not merely steal donations; they steal people's faith, poach MLAs and MPs from other parties, and even hijack entire political parties. They have become a threat to the nation's Constitution and democracy."

He added that "People from all castes and religions across the country will hold them accountable; there is no escaping it now," Gautam told ANI.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on June 25 in connection with the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.(ANI)