Ram Mandir row: Congress leaders urge PM Modi to probe 'Chanda Chori'

Senior Congress leaders urged PM Modi to order an independent probe into the 'Chanda Chori' (donation theft) allegations at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir, demanding accountability from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust he established.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh (File Photo/ANI)

Congress Demands Probe, Urges PM Modi to Break Silence

The political tensions amid the ongoing chaos over allegations of donation theft at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir heightened on Sunday as senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the issue and demanded accountability over what he called the "Chanda Chori, Aastha Dhoka".

In an X post, the Congress MP endorsed a letter written jointly by senior party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. In the letter, the two leaders urged PM Modi to immediately order an independent and comprehensive investigation into the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust's "financial affairs". "It is only appropriate that the two LOPs have written to the PM on the Chanda Chori Aastha Dhoka involving the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya," Ramesh said.

Recalling the Prime Minister's own words from 2020 in the Lok Sabha, Ramesh said that he took "full credit" while announcing the Trust's formation, claiming that the same trust has "betrayed" devotees. "In one of his rare token appearances in the Lok Sabha on Feb 5, 2020, the PM had taken full credit while announcing the establishment of this Trust which has betrayed the faith and devotion of crores of devotees across the country. Pradhan Mantri Chuppi Todo!," he said on X. It is only appropriate that the two LOPs have written to the PM on the Chanda Chori Astha Dhoka involving the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya. In one of his rare token appearances in the Lok Sabha on Feb 5, 2020, the PM had taken full credit while… pic.twitter.com/WsqN3VkvVK — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 19, 2026

Joint Letter Alleges Betrayal of Devotees

Earlier in the day, Kharge and Gandhi, in the joint letter, alleged that PM Modi was aware of the theft of thousands of crores in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and that lakhs of devotees who had donated their hard-earned money with faith, devotion and trust now felt "betrayed by the theft".

The letter claimed that while PM Modi had announced the formation of the trust in Parliament on the directions of the Supreme Court, its members had been solely appointed by the government. "It is public knowledge that the members of the Trust are affiliated with the RSS, VHP and its affiliates. Its disgraced former General Secretary was also your close associate," the letter read, referring to Champat Rai, who has resigned as the General Secretary amid the ongoing investigation into the alleged donation embezzlement.

Kharge and Gandhi called the Prime Minister's silence in the face of what they termed a "crime" unacceptable, asserting that it is his "duty" to ensure accountability and restitution. "We urge you to immediately order an independent and comprehensive investigation into the financial affairs of the Trust, including the handling of all offerings including cash, gold, silver. The findings and the Trust's accounts should be made public so that every devotee knows how their offerings have been utilized. All those found responsible must be held accountable, irrespective of position or influence," the letter said.

The letter further said that the credibility of the government and the trust" rested on how transparently and swiftly he acted".

Investigation and Arrests in Embezzlement Case

The letter comes a day ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session, which opens July 20, where Congress is likely to raise the Ram Mandir donation row in the house.

Meanwhile, a court on Friday granted 39 hours of police remand for Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav and Manish Yadav in the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case. Earlier in the day, the Ayodhya Police had moved a local court seeking a seven-day police remand for two accused, Tinnu Yadav and Manish Yadav.

On Wednesday, two more accused arrested in connection with the alleged embezzlement of donations meant for the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple were taken from the District Jail in Ayodhya after a court granted the police a 14-hour remand for custodial interrogation. The accused have been identified as Subhash Chandra Srivastava, a retired bank employee who supervised the temple's cash-counting operations, and Ramashankar Mishra. Police officials escorted the duo from the jail to conduct day-long questioning as part of the investigation into the alleged misappropriation of temple donations.

SIT Preliminary Report Reveals Lapses

The alleged embezzlement has triggered a heated political row in Uttar Pradesh, with a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the irregularities. The preliminary report of the SIT into the Ram Mandir donation row has stated that prima facie, around 70 suspicious incidents were captured on CCTV between April 27 and June 5, 2026 and in CCTV footage, counting staff were seen concealing wads of cash.

The preliminary report points to lapses and said there was no frisking at entry and exit, poor control over personal belongings, and cash from multiple donation boxes counted together were among the reasons that made the crime possible.

The report mentions recovery of around Rs 78.94 lakh from some employees before the investigation. An additional Rs 2.25 lakh was allegedly recovered from the bathroom attached to the counting room on June 4, 2026. (ANI)

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