Congress Targets PM Modi Over Ram Temple Donations After UP Chief Ajai Rai Detained

The Congress party, speaking from New Delhi, launched a sharp attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 30 over his silence regarding the alleged embezzlement of donations for the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The political confrontation intensified after the Uttar Pradesh police allegedly detained state Congress chief Ajai Rai at his hotel in Ayodhya, blocking a scheduled party delegation from visiting the temple.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh stated that the Prime Minister's silence on the purported "loot" of donations represents a direct assault on the religious faith of crores of people across India. Ramesh demanded that the Prime Minister break his silence on the ongoing controversy.

According to Ramesh, the Modi government established the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust without transparent criteria or public consultation. He further alleged that the government appointed members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to the trust. Ramesh criticized the decision to exempt the entire trust from the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which he suggested has limited transparency.

The controversy escalated around midnight when Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajai Rai posted on the social media platform X. Rai claimed that shortly after he arrived in Ayodhya, the BJP government, which he described as "gripped by fear," directed the police to "arrest" him from his hotel room.

Rai wrote on X that the BJP government's authoritarianism had reached its peak with the action. The Uttar Pradesh Congress delegation had scheduled the visit to Ayodhya for June 30 to offer prayers at the temple, but the police intervention prevented the planned visit.

The incident has heightened political tension between the opposition and the ruling BJP government over the management and financial transparency of the Ram temple trust.