Maharashtra: Congress launches 'satyagraha' against Ram temple donation 'theft'

Nashik, Jul 7 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Tuesday demanded a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying that the ongoing inquiry by a Special Investigation Team was an attempt to cover up the matter. Launching the party's state-wide 'Raghupati Raghav Rajaram Satyagraha' from the historic Kalaram temple here, Sapkal alleged that cash donations and gold, silver and other valuables offered by devotees had been misappropriated. Claiming that persons close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were on the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, he said it was deliberately kept outside the ambit of the Right to Information Act. The trust should make public the accounts of donations, he demanded. The Congress leader also questioned the resignations of trust functionaries Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, and alleged that if the accused had belonged to tribal, backward or minority communities, "bulldozer action" would have been initiated against them. When such action would be taken against Rai and Mishra, he asked. Notably, authorities have often demolished 'unauthorised' structures belonging to the accused in high-profile cases in BJP-ruled states. Sapkal also criticised Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, claiming that the government tried to stop the party's planned protest by warning of cloudburst and heavy rainfall in Nashik. The agitation would continue across Maharashtra from July 9, said Sapkal. The BJP and the RSS misled devotees, he alleged, adding that the opposition party would continue its campaign until those responsible for the alleged irregularities at the Ayodhya temple were held accountable. Several Congress leaders including MP Shobha Bachhav participated in the protest which began with the devotional hymn "Raghupati Raghav Rajaram" and concluded with the recitation of saint Dnyaneshwar's famous prayer 'Pasaydan'. PTI MR KRK