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BJP chief spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo on Sunday hit out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Rahul Gandhi over their letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an independent probe into "financial affairs" of the Ram Mandir Trust.
Shahdeo asserted that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is already conducting a thorough investigation and has made significant progress in the case. Speaking to reporters, Shahdeo said, "SIT is investigating, and its probe has gone quite far. Arrests have been made of those who are guilty. Efforts are constantly being made to find out more about money links. The SIT is working so well." Taking a dig at the Congress leadership, the BJP chief spokesperson labelled the party "Ram-drohi" (anti-Ram), reminding them of their previous legal stands. "Rahul Gandhi comes from a 'Ram-drohi' party. He even denied the existence of Ram Lalla in the Supreme Court during the UPA government in September 2007. They said that there is no real proof of Ram Lalla's existence. They said Ramayana is a comic book and should not be considered a historical text. And see today, in the matter of donation theft, they have all become Ram devotees," Shahdeo stated. He further emphasized that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh are committed to protecting the interests of devotees. "Our government is the government of Ram devotees in UP and the Centre. We are taking strict action against those who steal donations. But the agenda that Congress is running, along with the people of their 'tukde-tukde' gang, is an attempt to defame the Ram temple and Ayodhya. This is not at all tolerable," he added. Shahdeo concluded by demanding that the Congress leaders reflect on their party's history before making such demands. "We demand that Rahul Gandhi and Kharge ji should think once before speaking; they should look at the old history of their party because they themselves had also opposed the construction of the Ram Lalla temple," he said. Meanwhile, a SIT is probing the Ram Mandir donation row and has stated that, prima facie, around 70 suspicious incidents were captured on CCTV between April 27 and June 5, 2026 and in CCTV footage, counting staff were seen concealing wads of cash. The preliminary report points to lapses and says there was no frisking at entry and exit, poor control over personal belongings, and cash from multiple donation boxes counted together were among the reasons that made the crime possible. The report mentions recovery of around Rs 78.94 lakh from some employees before the investigation. An additional Rs 2.25 lakh was allegedly recovered from the bathroom attached to the counting room on June 4, 2026. The report also states that no prima facie evidence was found to support social media claims about missing silver bricks or other valuable offerings. Eight accused have been arrested in the case. (ANI)
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