Cong seeks SC-monitored probe as Raut, Sisodia ask Trust to explain
New Delhi: With elections approaching in Uttar Pradesh, the opposition chorus over the alleged Ram Janmabhoomi land scam only grew on Monday with the Congress joining the Samajwadi Party and the Aam Aadmi Party to call out the "corruption" and demanding a Supreme Court-mandated probe into the allegations.
And a day after AAP Rajya Sabha MP and UP leader Sanjay Singh brought out the documents allegedly proving this scam, closely on the heels of SP's Pawan Pandey, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut sought a clarification from the Ram Temple Trust for these allegations.
On Sunday, Sanjay Singh and Pandey had alleged that Shriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai purchased 1.208 hectares of land worth Rs 2 crore in Ayodhya's Bag Bjaisi village at an inflated price of Rs 18.5 crore with the help of trust member Anil Mishra.
Terming it a case of money laundering, the leaders sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the matter.
On Monday, the Indian National Congress alleged that it was a "big scam" committed using funds collected from devotees and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer questions of whether those behind it had his protection.
Party general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged at a press conference that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had purchased "12,080 square metres of land" at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh at an inflated price of Rs 18.5 crore.
The land was purchased by the temple's trust at Rs 18.5 crore on March 18, and according to land deeds, only a few minutes earlier on the same day Kusum Phatak had sold it for Rs 2 crore to Ravi Tiwari and Sultan Ansari from whom the trust bought the land, he claimed.
Citing the land deeds, Surejwala claimed that trust members Anil Mishra, who is a BJP leader, and Hrishikesh Upadhyay, a former mayor of Ayodhya, are signatories to the Rs 18.5 crore land deal.
The land was in the name of Pathak and was sold to Tiwari and Ansari, who in turn sold it to the trust, the Congress spokesperson claimed.
"Will the Prime Minister answer if those sinners, who have traded the faith of Lord Ram's devotees, have his protection," he said.
"How could BJP leaders commit such a big malpractice in the name of Lord Ram whose words, values and ethical conduct are sworn as ideals. How much more land has been purchased in such a manner at throwaway rates out of funds received for the temple's construction," Surjewala asked.
Amid this, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the misuse of donations by devotees is a sin and an insult to their faith. "Crores of people made their offerings at the feet of God out of their faith and devotion. Misuse of those donations is unrighteous and is a sin and an insult to their faith," she said in a tweet in Hindi.
The Congress leader said the Supreme Court should also get under its aegis an audit done for all the donations and funds received and spent by the trust for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. It should also carry out a probe on the assessment value of all land purchased by the trust from donations and make it public in the
traditions of the idealism of Lord Ram, he demanded. Meanwhile, seeking an explanation from the Trust, AAP's
Sisodia insisted there was a scam in the land purchase deal.
"The temple is being built using donations made by people and their sentiments are attached to it. My request to them (Ram temple trust) is only that they should not play with the sentiments of the people who donated their hard-earned money for the temple," he said.
Moreover, Shiv Sena's Raut came out swinging on Monday, when he told reporters that the documents of the land deal now in the public domain was "shocking evidence".
"Lord Ram and the fight for the Ram mandir is a matter of faith for us. For some, it is a political matter. The Trust formed for the construction of the temple should clarify if the allegations are true or false. The temple's 'bhoomipujan' ceremony was also attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. They should also speak out. Ram temple is a matter of faith. People have made donations out of faith. Even Shiv Sena had contributed Rs one crore to the Trust," Raut said.
Refuting allegations pouring in from all political quarters, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said some members of the opposition "do not miss a chance to defame Ram Janmabhoomi".
Soon after the allegations were made public, the Shriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai had issued a statement strongly refuting them and saying,
"Allegations of assassinating Mahatma Gandhi were also levelled against us.
We do not fear allegations. I will study the allegations levelled against us and probe them."
However, Surjewala was quick to react to the denial, saying on Twitter: "Lord Ram, what kind of days are
these? Scams are happening by taking donations in your name. Shameless
robbers are intoxicated with arrogance like Ravana and are selling faith. The question is how the land bought for
Rs 2 crore was sold after 10 minutes to 'Ram Janmabhoomi' for Rs 18.50 crore?" he asked. "Now it seems
Kans are ruling, Ravana is everywhere!"
