Congress General Secretary Jai Ram Ramesh has demanded an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court regarding the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He accused the BJP-led government of shielding influential individuals while directing criminal proceedings against lower-level employees. He stated that more than four months after the issue came to light, authorities have neither disclosed details of the allegedly stolen amount nor appropriately determined the responsibility of senior officials of the temple trust.

Targeting the BJP on the social media platform X, Ramesh raised slogans: “Donation theft, faith fraud” and “Power gained in the name of Ram, silence on donation theft.” He alleged that the BJP uses the name of Lord Ram to gain political power but has failed to ensure accountability in the controversy over devotees’ offerings at the Ram Temple, one of the most sacred sites in Hinduism.

Jai Ram Ramesh raised several questions about the investigation process and alleged that the circumstances surrounding the formation of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the Uttar Pradesh government have raised doubts about its impartiality. According to him, the alleged donation theft case came to light on June 4, 2026, but the SIT was formed on June 13, nine days later, following a request from the temple trust. He further claimed that on August 17, the state’s Home Department submitted its final report to the trust, in which the trust’s secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra were allegedly given a clean chit.

Questioning the investigation’s findings, the Congress leader referred to the alleged CCTV footage from April 27 to June 5, 2026. He claimed that employees tasked with counting donations were seen hiding bundles of currency notes 105 times. He asked whether the investigators determined the full amount of the alleged theft, identified all potentially involved individuals, and assessed the responsibility of senior officials overseeing the collection, counting, and accounting of donations.

Ramesh also questioned the role of the trust’s treasurer, Govind Devi Gori. He stated that a complete audit of the temple’s financial management is necessary to determine how devotees’ offerings were collected, counted, recorded, and included in the accounts. Citing statements attributed to certain saints in Ayodhya, who questioned whether the treasurer could have been unaware of the money’s movement, Ramesh pointed out that Govind Devi Gori had denied on July 7 that Champat Rai had any alleged involvement in the matter.