CONGRESS National Spokesperson Sadhana Bharti on Sunday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the alleged irregularities in the Ram Temple land purchase and donation collection cases. She said an independent agency should conduct the probe. Talking to the media persons, in Jabalpur, Bharti alleged that attempts were being made to shield senior members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust by taking action only against lower-level employees. She questioned the functioning of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and alleged that an impartial probe was not possible under its present leadership.

 

Referring to figures released by the Trust, Bharti alleged there were discrepancies between the number of devotees who visited Ayodhya during the Kumbh period and the reported donation amount. She also raised questions over the purchase of land, procurement of construction materials and expenditure on the Ram Temple project. She alleged that these issues required an independent investigation. Bharti further alleged that the Trust had been kept outside the purview of the Right to Information Act and said transparency in the functioning of the Trust was necessary. She accused the BJP of politicising the Ram Temple Trust and demanded accountability from those responsible for its formation. The Congress leader also criticised the Centre on issues related to democracy and governance. She urged the President of India to ensure a fair and time-bound investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court.