UP Congress chief alleges house arrest ahead of Ram Mandir visit: Cowardly attempt
The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Tuesday alleged that its state president, Ajay Rai, had been placed under house arrest in Ayodhya ahead of a proposed
The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Tuesday alleged that its state president, Ajay Rai, had been placed under house arrest in Ayodhya ahead of a proposed visit by a party delegation to the Ram Temple, with Rai calling the move a "cowardly attempt" by the BJP government to stop Congress leaders from offering prayers amid the ongoing row over the embezzlement of devotees' donations. Read Full Story In a post on X, Rai accused the BJP government of acting in a "dictatorial" manner, claiming he was placed under arrest shortly after arriving in Ayodhya. Questioning the action, Rai alleged that those involved in the alleged donation theft and land scams in Ayodhya were "afraid of devotees of Lord Ram". "We will neither stop nor bow down," he added in his post. In a statement, the party alleged that Rai was confined to Hotel Padam Shri Palace in Ayodhya after arriving in the city to lead the delegation. The Congress said it had already informed the local administration about the visit, which is scheduled for Tuesday. The Congress also claimed that Pratapgarh district Congress president Neeraj Tripathi was detained by the police without any justification. “Lord Shri Ram does not belong to any one political party or ideology, but is a symbol of the faith and culture of the entire country. Stopping devotees from going to Ayodhya is unconstitutional," the party said. The delegation, led by Rai, includes MPs Kishori Lal Sharma (Amethi), Rakesh Rathor (Sitapur), Ujjwal Raman Singh (Prayagraj) and Tanuj Punia (Barabanki).
Barabanki MP S P Gautam, former MLC Deepak Singh, former Maharajganj MLA Virendra Chaudhary and former Barabanki MLA Mita Gautam are also expected to be part of the visit. The visit comes against the backdrop of the Ram Temple donation theft case, in which eight people have been arrested following a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the embezzlement of donations offered by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. The accused were part of the team responsible for counting and managing cash and valuables donated by devotees at the Ram Temple. Opposition parties have alleged that the arrests target only lower-level functionaries, while the "main culprits" remain untouched. Meanwhile, sources in the State Bank of India (SBI) claimed the bank had recommended replacing the temple's cash-counting staff nearly three months ago after suspecting irregularities in the handling of donations. However, members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust allegedly did not approve the move. The Trust has not yet responded to the claim. The controversy has intensified in recent days, with Opposition parties accusing the BJP of shielding those responsible for the misappropriation of temple donations. The BJP has rejected the allegations, asserting that the state government is ensuring a fair investigation and that strict action will be taken against those found guilty. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav urged "true Sanatanis" not to vote for the BJP or seek election tickets from the party, alleging that it had "betrayed Lord Ram".
The BriefWire