Hans News Service Dehradun

CongressGeneral Secretary KC Venugopal on Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence regarding the alleged theft of offerings and donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter.

Addressing a press conference here on the final day of his two-day visit to Uttarakhand, Venugopal said that for several years, the BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have been collecting donations in the name of the Ram Temple, and the trust authority has misappropriated that gold and money. The Congress leader said, “I have just one question: who is responsible for the theft of donations? The Ram Temple Trust was formed under the supervision of the prime minister. Why is he silent on this issue?” Demanding an investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court, Venugopal said that the party would raise this matter prominently in Parliament. Uttarakhand Congress General Secretary and party in-charge Kumari Selja, and state president Ganesh Godiyal were also present at the press conference. Referring to the assembly elections scheduled for early next year in Uttarakhand, Venugopal said he had reviewed the party’s election preparedness over the past two days. During this period, he held meetings with senior party leaders, the state political affairs committee, district Congress committee presidents, frontal organisations, departments, as well as incumbent and former MLAs.

He said, “I am happy to state that the party organisation and leaders in the state are ready to contest the election with full strength. All leaders in the state will fight together and win.” After interacting with leaders in various meetings, Venugopal formed the impression that the people of the state are opposed to the current government. He said that the BJP government has caused significant disappointment among the people over the last 10 years, and the Congress will make an all-out effort to capitalise on the prevailing anti-government sentiment in the state. He alleged that unemployment and the resulting migration are the biggest issues in the state, yet the BJP government has done “nothing” to address them over the past decade.