BJP Himachal hits back at Congress over Ram Janmabhoomi Trust charges
Synopsis
Himachal Pradesh BJP has turned Congress allegations against the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust into a full-scale counter-offensive, with spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal listing eight major corruption cases from Congress-led governments — framing the party as the last institution credible enough to raise accountability questions about a site of national religious significance.
Key Takeaways
Himachal Pradesh BJP on 11 July called Congress allegations against the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust politically motivated.
BJP chief spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal accused Congress of exploiting religious sentiments for electoral gain.
Jamwal cited eight major corruption cases from Congress-era governments, including the 2G scam , Coalgate , Commonwealth Games scam , and Bofors scandal .
BJP maintained the Ram Temple belongs to the nation, not any political party, and that any scrutiny must follow legal procedures.
Congress had not publicly responded to the BJP counterattack as of available reports.
The Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, 11 July sharply rebuked the Indian National Congress (Congress) for levelling allegations against the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, calling the charges politically motivated and an attempt to exploit the religious sentiments of millions of devotees for electoral advantage.
BJP's Charge Against Congress
BJP chief spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal said the Congress — which he alleged had opposed the Ram Janmabhoomi movement for decades and repeatedly attempted to obstruct the construction of the Ram Temple — is now seeking to manufacture controversy around an issue deeply rooted in national faith. He argued that any party raising questions about corruption must first examine its own record.
Litany of Past Scams Cited
Jamwal invoked a string of high-profile corruption cases from Congress-led governments, naming the 2G Spectrum scam, the Coal Allocation (Coalgate) scam, the Commonwealth Games scam, the AgustaWestland Helicopter Deal, the Adarsh Housing Society scam, the National Herald case, the Bofors scandal, and the Aircel-Maxis case, among others. He said these episodes had caused enormous losses to the public exchequer and damaged India's global standing, adding that the nation had not forgotten them.
Ram Temple Framed as National, Not Political, Issue
The BJP spokesperson maintained that Lord Ram is a symbol of faith for hundreds of millions of Indians and that the Ram Temple belongs to the entire nation rather than to any political formation. He asserted that if any issue relating to the Trust requires scrutiny, it must be addressed strictly through established legal procedures — not through political grandstanding.
Accountability and Governance Claims
Jamwal said it was ironic that a party whose tenure was, in his words, marked by repeated large-scale corruption allegations is now attempting to lecture others on transparency and accountability. He reiterated that the BJP remains committed to good governance, while accusing the Congress of a political legacy overshadowed by scams and what he termed appeasement politics. Congress has not yet responded publicly to the BJP's counterattack, according to available reports.
The exchange signals that the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust controversy is set to remain a flashpoint in Himachal Pradesh's political discourse in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
Jamwal shifts the debate from the Trust's conduct to Congress's credibility — a politically effective, if legally irrelevant, manoeuvre. What is notably absent from the BJP statement is any substantive rebuttal of the specific allegations against the Trust itself. The Ram Temple's emotional salience gives the BJP a structural advantage in this framing war, but that advantage does not resolve the underlying question of whether the Trust's financial affairs warrant independent scrutiny.
NationPress
11 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the BJP criticising Congress over the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust?
The BJP says Congress allegations against the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust are politically motivated and aimed at exploiting religious sentiment for electoral gain. BJP spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal argued that Congress, which he alleged had opposed the Ram Janmabhoomi movement for decades, lacks the credibility to raise accountability questions.
What corruption cases did BJP's Rakesh Jamwal cite against Congress?
Jamwal cited the 2G Spectrum scam, Coalgate scam, Commonwealth Games scam, AgustaWestland Helicopter Deal, Adarsh Housing Society scam, National Herald case, Bofors scandal, and the Aircel-Maxis case — all of which surfaced during Congress-led governments, he said.
What is the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust?
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is the body set up to oversee the construction and management of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. It was constituted following the Supreme Court's 2019 verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute.
Has Congress responded to the BJP's counter-allegations?
As of available reports, Congress had not publicly responded to the BJP's counterattack in Himachal Pradesh. The party's original allegations against the Trust prompted the BJP's sharp rebuttal on 11 July.
What is BJP's position on scrutiny of the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust?
BJP spokesperson Rakesh Jamwal said that if any issue concerning the Trust requires examination, it must be addressed strictly in accordance with the law and established legal procedures. He opposed what he described as Congress dragging a sacred institution into political controversy for electoral purposes.
