Agartala, June 30: Tripura Congress MLA and former minister Sudip Roy Barman on Tuesday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into alleged financial irregularities linked to the construction and management of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, accusing the BJP and its affiliated organisations of misusing public donations collected in the name of Lord Ram.
Addressing a press conference along with Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Asish Kumar Saha, Roy Barman alleged that several aspects of the Ram Temple project, including donations collected through Ram Shila campaigns, local fund collection drives before 2019, alleged inflated land transactions in 2021, and procurement of prasad, warranted an independent and impartial investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
He claimed that lakhs of devotees had contributed to the temple project in good faith and questioned whether those funds had been utilised transparently. According to Roy Barman, the investigation should not be limited to lower-level functionaries but should identify and prosecute those allegedly responsible at the highest level, if any wrongdoing is established.
The Congress leader further alleged that a probe conducted solely by central investigative agencies would not inspire public confidence and therefore insisted that only a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry could ensure fairness and transparency.
Roy Barman also accused the BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and their affiliated organisations of exploiting religious sentiments for political purposes. He alleged that corruption had become institutionalised under the present government and urged citizens to raise their voices against any misuse of donations made in the name of religion.
Supporting the demand, TPCC president Asish Kumar Saha alleged that concerns over the utilisation of funds were not confined to Ayodhya but extended to temple development projects elsewhere in the country, including Tripura.
Referring to the redevelopment of the historic Tripureswari Temple in Udaipur, Saha alleged financial irregularities in the implementation of the temple corridor project. He claimed that several displaced shopkeepers were yet to receive proper rehabilitation and further alleged that funds from the temple trust had been utilised to construct temporary rehabilitation facilities without reimbursement.
The BJP and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust have repeatedly denied allegations of financial wrongdoing relating to the Ayodhya temple project. No court has so far established the allegations raised by the Congress leaders.
