All posts tagged: donation irregularities

Ram Temple donation irregularities: Congress’s Venugopal seeks SC-monitored probe

Ram Temple donation irregularities: Congress’s Venugopal seeks SC-monitored probe

Congress leader KC Venugopal has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a Supreme Court- monitored investigation into allegations of irregularities in the Ram Temple donation collections. He referred to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to look into matter and said its actions so far “are an eyewash” clearly designed to shield the “big fish”. Congress leader KC Venugopal. (X) “So far, only the ‘small fish’—drivers, clerks and outsourced cashiers—have been arrested, while the institutional support and chain of command that enabled the brazen loot remain untouched,” said Venugopal in the letter on Thursday. Venugopal said that staff siphoned donations daily and 7 to 8 months of CCTV footage were missing, indicating irregularities orchestrated at the highest level. “ The ongoing preliminary investigations have exposed a highly organised racket operating right under the nose of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust [which manages the temple].” Venugopal said the systemic collapse at every level makes it clear that this loot was enabled by institutional support. He added that complaints of theft were …

Keeping up with UP: Will there be political fallout from Ram Temple donation issue

Keeping up with UP: Will there be political fallout from Ram Temple donation issue

The alleged irregularities in the Ram Temple donation collection have embarrassed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its network of organisations, or Sangh Parivar, even though its political fallout is hard to predict. The construction of a grand Ram Temple has been a core ideological issue for the Sangh Parivar. (HT PHOTO) A three-member Special Investigation Team was constituted to probe the matter, and all eight accused named in the first information report have been arrested. The houses of the accused were raided, and cash was recovered. Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which runs the temple, and Anil Mishra, a trustee, have submitted their resignations. Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, who has been named as the alleged kingpin, worked as Rai’s driver. The arrested accused also include two of Mishra’s relatives. Despite these actions, the government’s approach has raised doubts about its intent. The construction of a grand Ram Temple has been a core ideological issue for the Sangh Parivar, and its most important slogan, “Jai Shri …