PM must come to House and reply on Ram Mandir donation theft case: Mallikarjun Kharge
NEW DELHI: Congress president and Rajya Sabha leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi respond in Parliament to allegations of embezzlement of donations and missing valuables linked to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.Kharge said the issue concerns the faith of devotees and claimed the Prime Minister should explain the functioning of the temple trust.Speaking to ANI in Rudrapur, Kharge said the opposition had raised the issue on behalf of people who have faith in the temple and Lord Ram.“We were the first to raise the issue of theft of the assets inside the temple… Who appointed that trust of caretakers? It was our Prime Minister. Who inaugurated it? He did. Who started the worship? He did. Who hoisted the flag at the Ram Mandir? He did. Who selected the trust members? He did. That is precisely why we want that, since he orchestrated everything, to come to the House and provide a reply,” Kharge said.Kharge alleged that jewellery, gold, silver, money and other valuables kept inside the temple were among the assets in question. He also referred to allegations involving gold bricks and a gold Ramcharitmanas book.He questioned the composition and functioning of the trust responsible for the temple’s affairs and sought an explanation from the Prime Minister over the allegations.Kharge said devotees who have faith in the Ram Temple and Lord Ram were distressed by the allegations and that the issue had affected their religious sentiments.He also said people expected opposition parties to raise the matter in Parliament and asserted that the Congress had taken up the issue on their behalf. The allegations are already under investigation.The Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court on July 27 that it had constituted a fresh Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Inspector General of Police Kiran S, to investigate the alleged embezzlement of donations made at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.According to the information provided by ANI, eight accused have so far been arrested in connection with the case. Investigators are tracing the money trail to identify additional assets and alleged beneficiaries.Earlier, several Samajwadi Party MPs also raised the issue in the Parliament premises and displayed posters carrying the slogan “Chanda chor, gaddi chhod” (Donation thieves, step down).The allegations concern the handling of donations and other valuables associated with the Ram Temple, with the investigation continuing to establish the extent of the alleged financial irregularities and identify those responsible.During his Uttarakhand visit, Kharge also said the Congress would oppose the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill and that opposition parties would discuss their strategy at a meeting of floor leaders on Monday.“We will oppose the FCRA-related move. We will take a decision (about strategy) tomorrow after a meeting of floor leaders,” he said.The FCRA Amendment Bill is expected to be introduced in the Lok Sabha during the final week of the monsoon session. The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, with the stated objective of increasing transparency and accountability in the regulation of foreign contributions.Several opposition parties have opposed the proposed amendments.
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Congress leader KC Venugopal had earlier said the party would “vehemently oppose” the Bill and that the government “cannot bulldoze this type of bill”.Kharge is in Uttarakhand as part of the Congress’ preparations for next year’s Assembly elections. He said his visit was aimed at energising party workers and expressed confidence that the party would form the government in the state.“I am the AICC President. I cannot come here every day, but our army is present here… Does PM Modi come here every day? Does Amit Shah come here? Does Nadda, even though he hails from this very region, come here? Does the new BJP President come here? We visit when and where it is necessary to energise our party workers. That does not mean we simply arrive and leave like tourists,” he said.
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