The Congress has intensified its attack on the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, alleging financial irregularities and demanding a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the Ram Temple donation case. The party, which once distanced itself from the Ayodhya movement, now seeks to reframe the narrative by questioning the Sangh Parivar’s control over the temple’s management.
Congress demands accountability in Ayodhya Ram Temple row
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP-RSS of “unauthorised capture” of the temple administration during a July 7 press conference at the AICC headquarters. The Congress has since held eight press conferences in New Delhi and nearly 50 nationwide, pressing for action against Trust office-bearers with VHP-RSS ties. The party also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the issue.
Though senior leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have not yet commented, the Congress plans to raise the matter in Parliament’s Monsoon Session, beginning July 20. The campaign marks a strategic shift for a party whose stance on Ayodhya has evolved over decades—from facilitating early access to the disputed site in 1986 to condemning the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.
Historical shifts in Congress’ Ayodhya position
The Rajiv Gandhi government opened the locks of the disputed structure in 1986, allowing Hindu worship after a Faizabad court ruling. This followed political backlash over the Shah Bano case, where the Congress later enacted a law to override the Supreme Court’s alimony verdict for Muslim women. In 1989, the Uttar Pradesh Congress government permitted the shilanyas ceremony near the site, claiming it lay outside the disputed area.
After the 1992 demolition, the Congress under P.V. Narasimha Rao condemned the act, dismissed BJP-led state governments, and pledged to rebuild the mosque if directed by courts. The party later supported the 2019 Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya, affirming judicial resolution while upholding the Places of Worship Act, 1991. However, its leadership skipped the January 2024 pran pratishtha ceremony, calling it a VHP-RSS event.
What happens next in the Ayodhya dispute
With the Congress pushing for transparency, the focus remains on whether the government will address the allegations against the Trust. The party’s renewed engagement signals an attempt to reclaim political ground on an issue long dominated by the BJP, framing the temple as belonging to devotees rather than the Sangh Parivar.
