Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh has alleged that valuable land near the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain was allotted to a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-linked trust during the tenure of former Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sunderlal Patwa, and is now being used for commercial purposes. The claim drew a sharp rebuttal from the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Saturday, 4 July, with its International President calling Singh's pattern of such allegations a 'highly irresponsible' habit.

VHP's Rebuttal

VHP International President Alok Kumar dismissed the allegation outright, saying he was unaware of the specifics but was confident the claim could not be true. 'Digvijaya Singh has always been in the habit of making highly irresponsible statements. This allegation is a new one. I am not aware of the facts of this particular matter, but I do not believe the allegation can be true because the nature and character of the RSS are not like that,' Kumar said. He added, 'The RSS does not own land across the country, except for its headquarters in Nagpur. The RSS does not own buildings throughout India.'

What Digvijaya Singh Alleged

Singh claimed that the land near the Mahakal Temple — reportedly of significant commercial value — was allotted to an RSS-linked trust under the Patwa government and is now being used for the construction of a 100-room hotel, among other commercial activities. He demanded a formal inquiry into what he described as the alleged misuse of donations. Separately, Singh announced on Friday that he would file a lawsuit in a court in Ayodhya seeking the return of ₹1.11 lakh he had donated for the construction of the Ram Temple, alleging that the funds had been misappropriated.

Singh's Ram Temple Donation Row

Addressing an event organised by the Madhya Pradesh Mahila Congress in Bhopal, Singh said he would approach the court rather than the police. 'I have decided to file a lawsuit in Ayodhya saying that the donation I made was misappropriated. They looted it, and therefore it should be returned to me so that I can deposit it into the Ramlaya Trust. I have no faith in the police because they are controlled by the BJP, so I will not go to the police station. I will go to the court in Ayodhya,' he said. Singh added that he had donated ₹1.11 lakh directly to the Ram Temple Trust following the 2019 Supreme Court judgment, choosing not to contribute through the VHP as he said he did not trust the organisation. He also stated that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the donation be deposited with the Ram Temple Trust, and had received an official receipt after making the contribution.

VHP General Secretary's Counter-Attack

VHP General Secretary Surendra Jain went further, invoking the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in his criticism. 'The Hindu community has fought this battle for 500 years. It also fought against people like you who, according to us, stood with the British,' Jain said, addressing Singh directly. He argued that Congress and leaders like Singh would 'never have allowed the temple to be built,' and said the VHP took up the movement in 1984 under the leadership of saints for precisely that reason. Jain also said, 'Those who have a history of misusing donations, looting the country, and patronising anti-Hindu elements have no moral authority to make such allegations,' adding that Singh, as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, had previously blocked a VHP conference on internal security.

Political Context

This confrontation is the latest in a long-running pattern of friction between Singh and Hindu nationalist organisations. The allegations arrive at a politically charged moment, with the Ram Temple and its associated trust under heightened public scrutiny. Whether Singh's threatened lawsuit in Ayodhya materialises — and what it reveals about the management of temple donations — will be closely watched in the weeks ahead.