"Every rupee should be accounted for": Rahul writes to Modi demanding public audit of Ram Mandir Trust

The political confrontation over the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case intensified sharply on Sunday after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote a formal letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi demanded an independent investigation and the immediate public disclosure of all financial accounts managed by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Arguing that millions of devotees had contributed their hard-earned money out of deep faith and devotion, the Congress leader asserted that the Prime Minister's continued silence on the controversy was completely unacceptable.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge firmly backed the demand, emphasizing the need for comprehensive accountability and transparency in handling the temple's public funds. The Congress party clarified that its demands were not meant to hurt the religious sentiments of devotees, but were aimed entirely at protecting public faith by removing doubts about institutional transparency. This political development coincided with active questioning by the Uttar Pradesh Special Investigation Team (SIT), which interrogated a key accused named Tinnu to trace the flow of siphoned cash, review security CCTV footage, and inspect standard auditing procedures.

The financial controversy has already induced significant administrative shake-ups within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, leading to the recent resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra. While Trust President Nritya Gopal Das appealed to political factions not to politicize the sensitive matter, he expressed strong confidence that the ongoing state probe would penalize the guilty. Adding further institutional pressure, the Supreme Court of India has formally intervened in the matter, demanding a comprehensive status report from the Uttar Pradesh government regarding the progress of the SIT investigation.