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Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Monday criticised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming that RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent remarks amount to a direct admission of the theft of offerings at the Ayodhya Ram Temple.
Speaking to ANI, Rai demanded an immediate, time-bound investigation into the alleged embezzlement by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court. Reacting to Bhagwat's statements regarding implementing stricter mechanisms to prevent such occurrences in the future, Rai alleged that the administrative system at the temple was intentionally designed to facilitate financial misappropriation. "This means the RSS has admitted that theft occurred! Mohan Bhagwat has accepted it. Why was the system designed in a way that allowed theft in the first place? And now they say they will fix it? This shows they are all 'brothers in crime.' This stolen money has travelled from Mohan Bhagwat to the PMO," Rai alleged during an interaction with ANI. The UP Congress chief rejected the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe initiated by the state government, questioning its independence and capacity to deliver an unbiased report. "When they are all involved, what's the point of an SIT under the same government? This SIT is working under their pressure. I demand a time-bound investigation by a sitting Supreme Court judge," he asserted. Rai also targeted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accusing him of political inconsistency regarding regional developments and historic grievances. "Yogi Adityanath is constantly lying. He was the MP from Gorakhpur in 2003 when the BJP was in power at the Centre under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Did he protest any alleged wrongdoing then? He has no proof," Rai remarked. The political confrontation intensifies even as a preliminary inquiry by the SIT exposed critical security lapses inside the counting room of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The investigators revealed that staff members allegedly concealed wads of currency notes inside their clothing, pockets, shoes, and personal effects, indicating that the pilferage was "systematic" and recurring rather than isolated lapses. Amid the mounting political storm, a batch of petitions seeking an independent, court-monitored investigation into the alleged irregularities has reached the apex court. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter today, July 13, before a high-level bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. (ANI)
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