Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate on Friday, 10 July held Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly accountable for the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, arguing that a leader who claimed exclusive credit for the temple's construction cannot now distance himself from the financial irregularities surrounding it. Shrinate made the remarks at a press conference in Chandigarh, flanked by Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and other party leaders.

The Scale of the Alleged Theft

Shrinate, who chairs the All India Congress Committee (AICC)'s Social Media and Digital Platforms department, described the alleged pilferage as far more than a routine crime. She said the incident amounted to a “brutal attack on the faith and trust of crores of Hindus” who had donated their hard-earned money to the temple. According to her, 70 thefts had taken place within a span of 40 days — a frequency she described as unprecedented in history. She squarely blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), calling it a “cardinal sin.”

Questions Over the SIT and Its Head

Congress trained its fire on the composition and conduct of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe the matter. Shrinate questioned the appointment of Vijay Vishwas Pant as SIT head, noting that he himself was reportedly facing a First Information Report (FIR) for fraud. She argued that the government could not find a more credible officer for such a sensitive probe. She also pointed out that the SIT report had not been made public, raising transparency concerns.

Trust Officials Under the Spotlight

The Congress spokesperson questioned why Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai Bansal and his colleague Anil Mishra had been left out of the accountability framework, calling their mere resignation an inadequate response. She further questioned why Bansal had engaged a private security agency — reportedly owned by a former BJP member of Parliament — at a cost of ₹1 crore per month, even as Uttar Pradesh Police and central security forces were already deployed at the temple premises.

Shrinate also raised concerns about trust treasurer Govind Giri, who, she alleged, claimed not to reside in Ayodhya and sent a representative for only five days a month to review accounts. She questioned whether this reflected the level of seriousness these officials brought to managing the faith of millions.

RTI Exemption and L&T Offer

Congress also flagged that the Ram Mandir Trust had been exempted from the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which it said shielded the institution from public scrutiny. Shrinate further alleged that infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) had offered to construct the temple for a token amount of Re 1, an offer that was reportedly turned down — a decision she said was motivated by the desire to keep financial transactions opaque.

She reiterated that the trust's members were chosen by Prime Minister Modi and that their primary qualification, she alleged, was their affiliation with the RSS. The BJP and the trust are yet to formally respond to the specific allegations raised at the press conference. As scrutiny over the Ram Temple's financial management intensifies, the political battle over accountability is set to sharpen ahead of the next electoral cycle.