New Delhi. Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari has accused the BJP and the trust of stealing hundreds of crores of rupees during the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, claiming that gold and silver were melted and sold, and the money was invested in the stock market. Calling it a robbery of the faith of millions of devotees, he demanded a Supreme Court-supervised Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe.
Pramod Tiwari said at a press conference at the Congress headquarters here on Sunday that not only were offerings stolen from the temple, but the irregularities began as early as the Shila Pujan ceremony. The BJP has always made the temple construction an election issue, and actual construction was possible only after a Supreme Court order.
He said the consecration ceremony was performed in an incomplete temple and the Shankaracharyas were not invited, even though they should have performed the puja. He alleged that ₹112 crore was spent on preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ayodhya, including flowers and chairs purchased at much higher prices.
He alleged that during the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, seven major land deals were made, in which payments were made 17 times higher than the circle rate. In one transaction, land was purchased for ₹2 crore and sold 10 minutes later for ₹18 crore. Even the Prime Minister cannot escape responsibility for the theft of offerings from the temple.
He said the BJP is trying to brush off the “offering theft” issue, but they must answer. “We demand an SIT investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court so that strict action can be taken against those who tamper with faith,” he said.