Karnataka Congress president B.K. Hariprasad on Friday, 10 July mounted a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a press conference in Bengaluru, accusing its leaders of lacking the moral authority to criticise the Congress and pressing for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Attack on BJP Leadership

Hariprasad singled out BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra, referring to him pointedly as 'Baby Yediyurappa', and condemned his remarks against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. He argued that leaders carrying a history of corruption allegations had no standing to lecture the Congress on ethics.

On the National Herald case — which has dogged the Congress leadership for over a decade — Hariprasad maintained that the publication was registered under the Companies Act, under which assets could neither be withdrawn nor distributed arbitrarily, and that company law governed its holdings.

Ram Temple Theft Allegations

The Karnataka Congress chief alleged that Vijayendra was shielding those accused of stealing donations from the Ram Temple, asserting that the money belonged to devotees and not to the BJP or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He claimed that cash, gold, and silver reportedly worth around ₹200 crore had allegedly been misappropriated from the temple.

Hariprasad held the Uttar Pradesh government responsible for safeguarding the temple and questioned who should be held accountable for the alleged losses. He demanded the resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, arguing they bore moral responsibility as figures associated with the temple's construction and consecration.

Congress's Conditional CBI Demand

Reiterating the Congress's call for a CBI investigation, Hariprasad framed it as essential to protect the sanctity of Lord Ram. In the same breath, he acknowledged that the Congress had limited faith in the agency, alleging it operated under the effective control of the Central government — a contradiction he did not elaborate on further.

Responding to a question about Karnataka's link to the alleged theft, Hariprasad claimed that individuals associated with Hindu organisations had been questioned in the case, though he did not provide specifics.

RSS Meeting in Belagavi and Broader Allegations

On an RSS meeting being held in Belagavi, Hariprasad said he would reserve comment until after the gathering concluded. He drew a pointed, and contested, association between previous RSS conclaves and the subsequent killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, M.M. Kalburgi, and journalist Gauri Lankesh, saying it remained to be seen what would follow the current meeting.

Hariprasad also alleged that the BJP and RSS had 'looted' the Ram Temple under the cover of religion, comparing it — in inflammatory terms — to historical temple desecrations. He argued that corruption had now penetrated the religious sphere. The BJP is yet to formally respond to these specific charges.