Ayodhya Ram Temple row: Congress reiterates demand for independent inquiry, accuses BJP and RSS of ‘daylight dacoity’
Congress leader Pawan Khera has demanded an independent, court-supervised inquiry into alleged financial irregularities within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. He accused the BJP and RSS of profiting from temple construction and called for a forensic audit.
Why it matters
The controversy touches on sensitive religious and political issues in India, reflecting deep-seated tensions between the ruling party and the opposition.
Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday (July 13, 2026) reiterated his party’s demand for a time-bound inquiry supervised by a sitting Supreme Court Judge into the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation embezzlement row. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of indulging in “daylight dacoity” by building a “business model around temples.”
Addressing a press conference in the Kerala capital, Mr. Khera, who heads the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) media and publicity wing, demanded a “complete forensic audit” of accounts, donations, offerings and land deals, accusing the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust of betraying the trust of the people. “The Trust should be dissolved and replaced with one that has reputable individuals and the Shankaracharyas in it,” he said.
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