At the end of their three-day meeting in Karnataka’s Belagavi on Sunday, the top leadership of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) collectively expressed “deep anguish” over the alleged financial irregularities uncovered in the counting of offerings from Ayodhya’s Ram temple donation boxes.
The RSS meeting of its top leadership asked the trust that manages the Ram temple to ensure that such an episode does not recur, as it would deeply wound the faith, devotion, and sentiments of millions of Ram devotees worldwide.
A total of 226 RSS leaders attended the RSS’s Akhil Bharatiya Prant Pracharak meeting, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, his deputy Dattatreya Hosabale, and the leadership of the organisation’s provincial units in the country.
The RSS usually holds a press conference at the end of its All India Prant Pracharak meetings, which did not take place on this occasion. RSS publicity department chief Sunil Ambekar issued a press statement.
According to Ambekar’s press statement, the RSS leadership “voiced strong confidence that the ongoing probe by the Uttar Pradesh Special Investigation Team (SIT) and local police, initiated at the formal request of the temple trust, is rapidly progressing toward a decisive turning point.”
The RSS leadership called upon the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ram temple, to institute stringent, foolproof mechanisms to prevent a repeat of such incidents. It emphasised that the trust must ensure such lapses never recur as they would deeply wound the faith, devotion, and sentiments of millions of Ram devotees worldwide, Ambekar said in his press statement.
The meeting reviewed RSS activities since March. It said 18,842 of its volunteers had been trained in disaster management, environment, rural development, the Sangh’s functioning and its family outreach programme since March. It said September would witness a major expansion of its shakhas, and also took stock of its centenary celebrations.
The meeting discussed several contemporary issues, primarily focusing on the Census 2027 updates in the context of the challenges that demographic imbalance poses. It expressed deep concern over the rising menace of drug abuse, and emphasised the urgent need for prioritised anti-addiction initiatives. The meeting also outlined plans for upcoming programmes to commemorate the 650th birth anniversary of the 16th-century saint and mystic poet Sant Ravidas.
Punjab, which is scheduled for Assembly polls in February-March next year, has a serious drug problem. Sant Ravidas is a venerable historical figure in Punjab.
Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, have continued to question the Sangh Parivar over the alleged embezzlement of donations to Ayodhya’s Ram temple.
On Sunday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a social media post that “exactly a month passed since the disclosure of the Shri Ram Temple donation theft case”. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “who takes credit for everything”, has become a “silent Modi” when it comes to accountability.
“Those who play politics in the name of the Ram Temple are now being exposed daily with new facts. Even the SIT, formed to hush up the matter, is being forced to admit that lakhs of rupees are disappearing daily in this offering-theft case,” Ramesh said. He alleged that the case of theft of offerings at Ayodhya’s Ram temple “cannot be limited to just a few employees” but the government “is busy protecting the real culprits.”
Appending news clippings from Hindi-language newspapers, Ramesh alleged that the government’s attempts to suppress the matter make it clear that Champat Rai, who has quit the temple trust, and other temple trustees “hold deep secrets” because of which the Modi government is not taking any action against them, and their dominance remains intact even today. He said the Congress’ demands are that an independent and impartial probe monitored by the Supreme Court be instituted, a forensic audit be conducted, and accountability fixed.
