Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Rai has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding an independent, scientific and multi-agency forensic investigation into the offerings, donations, land purchases, construction works and alleged financial irregularities related to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.
File Photo: IANS
Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Rai has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding an independent, scientific and multi-agency forensic investigation into the offerings, donations, land purchases, construction works and alleged financial irregularities related to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.
In his letter to the Chief Minister on Saturday, Rai stated that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple is a centre of faith for millions of devotees, and that donations from devotees in India and abroad contributed to its construction.
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Therefore, he said, it is essential to maintain complete transparency, accountability and public trust in every financial transaction related to the temple.
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He said that an interim investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the state government into the alleged irregularities in cash offerings received at the temple and valuables donated by devotees, had resulted in the registration of an FIR and the arrest of some employees.
He further stated that the investigation had been hampered by limited CCTV records and the lack of access to older electronic evidence, which was a matter of serious concern.
The Congress state president also referred to allegations of price gouging and irregularities in land purchases for development work in and around the temple in 2021.
He said that publicly available documents alleged that land had been sold to the trust at inflated prices within a short period and that commissions had been paid in connection with the construction work, both of which warranted a comprehensive investigation.
He demanded an independent audit and physical verification of all cash offerings, digital donations, gold, silver and other valuable donations received since the temple’s inception.
Rai also requested a forensic analysis of the entire flow of funds, from donations to bank deposits, bank accounts, account books, audit reports, stock registers, digital records, tenders, contracts, subcontracts, construction material purchases, transportation records and all documents related to land purchases and sales.
He stated that if the investigation revealed evidence of money laundering or proceeds of crime, the relevant agencies should take action in accordance with the law.
Rai also questioned why internal controls, audits and administrative oversight had failed if the alleged irregularities had continued over a long period, and why the designated officials of the state government had not informed the Chief Minister in a timely manner.
The letter also stated that the issue was not related to any political party, but concerned the faith of millions of devotees, the sanctity of public funds and the credibility of governance.
He demanded that the investigation be conducted in an impartial, independent, timely and scientific manner, and that its progress and findings be made public at the earliest.
Rai also warned that if a comprehensive and independent investigation was not conducted, the public might suspect that influential individuals were being protected, which could adversely affect the impartiality of governance and the trust of devotees.
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