Pawan Khera seeks SC-monitored probe into Ram Temple donation row
Synopsis
Congress's Pawan Khera has levelled sweeping allegations against the Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust — from a rejected free construction offer by L&T to missing silver and a non-existent cow shelter — and demanded a Supreme Court judge-led forensic probe. The demand escalates political pressure on the BJP and RSS at a moment when the existing SIT's credibility is already being questioned.
Key Takeaways
Pawan Khera of the AICC demanded a Supreme Court -monitored probe into alleged financial irregularities at the Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust on 13 July .
He alleged the temple was built at ₹2,100 crore despite Larsen & Toubro reportedly offering to construct it free of cost.
Khera claimed crores were shown as expenditure for a cow shelter that allegedly does not exist at the temple site.
He questioned the whereabouts of 200 kilograms of silver donated to the temple.
Khera demanded dissolution of the existing Trust and formation of a new one comprising devotees and Shankaracharyas .
He said the existing SIT lacked public confidence and called for a sitting Supreme Court judge to lead the investigation.
Congress leader and All India Congress Committee (AICC) Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera on Monday, 13 July demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into alleged financial irregularities and misappropriation of donations linked to the Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust. Speaking at the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, Khera described the alleged wrongdoing as 'a broad daylight robbery carried out in the name of the Ram Temple.'
Key Allegations Raised
Khera alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had constituted the Ram Temple Trust, and that while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had publicly claimed credit for the temple's construction, both organisations had gone silent after corruption allegations surfaced. 'Whom are they trying to protect? Who will answer these serious allegations?' he asked.
He further alleged that Larsen & Toubro (L&T) had offered to construct the temple free of cost, but the proposal was reportedly rejected, and the temple was ultimately built at a cost of ₹2,100 crore. Khera also claimed that crores of rupees had been recorded as expenditure for a cow shelter that, according to him, does not exist at the temple site.
Decades of Fundraising Under Scrutiny
According to Khera, the RSS and the BJP had collected crores of rupees over the past four decades in the name of constructing the Ram Temple, yet had not provided any transparent accounting of those funds. 'They have deceived devotees across the country,' he said, also questioning the source of funds used to construct the RSS and BJP headquarters in New Delhi.
Citing remarks attributed to Swami Avimukteshwaranand and several Shankaracharyas, Khera alleged that the Ayodhya Ram Temple had been turned into an RSS fundraising centre — a claim he said explained why certain religious seers had chosen not to visit the temple. He also questioned the whereabouts of 200 kilograms of silver reportedly donated to the temple.
Demands: SC Judge, Forensic Audit, New Trust
Khera said the existing Special Investigation Team (SIT) did not inspire public confidence and called for a probe led by a sitting Supreme Court judge, backed by digital and forensic examination of all donation records and land transactions connected to the temple. He additionally demanded that the current Trust be dissolved, alleging it had been packed with RSS members, and that a new Trust comprising devotees and the Shankaracharyas be constituted in its place.
Remarks on Kerala and Priyanka Gandhi
Commenting on Kerala, Khera said the state now had a new government with political will. He also responded to BJP criticism over Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra not visiting the Wayanad disaster site, arguing that the BJP would have criticised her regardless — accusing her of disrupting rescue operations had she gone.
The BJP and the Ram Temple Trust have not yet issued a formal response to Khera's specific allegations. With the SIT probe already under way, whether the Supreme Court will be approached for oversight remains to be seen.
Point of View
But they remain unverified claims from an opposition leader; the BJP and the Trust have not yet rebutted the specifics. What is notable is the Congress strategy of using religious figures — Shankaracharyas and Swami Avimukteshwaranand — as validators, insulating the attack from the charge of being anti-Hindu. Whether the Supreme Court will entertain a monitored probe into a religious trust is a separate and significant legal question that mainstream coverage has largely skipped over.
NationPress
13 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has Pawan Khera alleged about the Ayodhya Ram Temple Trust?
Pawan Khera has alleged widespread financial irregularities including a rejected free construction offer from L&T, fabricated expenditure on a non-existent cow shelter, unaccounted donations collected over four decades, and missing silver weighing 200 kilograms. He made these allegations at the KPCC headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on 13 July.
Why is Khera demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe?
Khera said the existing SIT does not inspire public confidence and called for oversight by a sitting Supreme Court judge, supported by digital and forensic examination of donation records and land transactions. He argued that only judicial supervision would ensure an impartial inquiry.
What did Khera say about Larsen and Toubro and the temple construction cost?
Khera alleged that L&T had offered to build the Ayodhya Ram Temple free of cost, but the offer was rejected. The temple was instead constructed at a reported cost of ₹2,100 crore, a discrepancy he cited as evidence of financial wrongdoing.
What are the Congress demands regarding the Ram Temple Trust?
Congress has demanded that the current Trust be dissolved, alleging it was packed with RSS members, and that a new Trust comprising devotees and Shankaracharyas be formed to manage the temple's affairs transparently.
Have the BJP or the Ram Temple Trust responded to these allegations?
As of the time of reporting, neither the BJP nor the Ram Temple Trust had issued a formal response to the specific allegations raised by Pawan Khera. The SIT probe into the matter is reportedly already under way.
