“Govt shielding main accused…”: Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat alleges Ram Mandir embezzlement occured under centre’s protection

New Delhi [India], July 3 (ANI): Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat on Friday alleged that the embezzlement of the donations received at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was carried out under the protection of the centre, further underlining that the government is also shielding the main accused by not registering any FIR but instead forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the investigation.
Speaking to ANI, Bhagat demanded a judicial inquiry into the case due to the lack of the government's seriousness and sensitivity in the case.
"Even today, the government is not serious about its security. You have seen how the administration and the government are acting; they did not even register an FIR. There is neither seriousness nor sensitivity, even though the faith of crores of Indians is linked to this. A judicial inquiry must be conducted because the government is not registering an FIR but is instead constituting an SIT; this implies that these events occurred under the government's protection and that the government is shielding the main accused," he said.
Earlier on Thursday, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal launched a frontal attack on the Centre and PM Modi over the issue, asserting that the Prime Minister has a "moral responsibility" to act and alleging that the ruling party is displaying "double standards" on issues linked to faith.
He escalated his attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of "using God for political gain."
Speaking to ANI on his letter to PM Modi over the case, Venugopal said, "PM has the moral responsibility to act upon this. One of the reasons he became the PM was the Ram Temple issue. The biggest theft happened and you are mum. This is clearly exposing the double standards of the BJP. They are using God for the sake of political advantage."
This comes after Venugopal today wrote to PM Narendra Modi seeking a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the matter, alleging that the "Chanda Chori" at the Ayodhya temple had "shaken the nation" and amounted to a betrayal of the faith of millions of devotees.
The Ram Mandir donation embezzlement controversy began after an FIR was registered on June 25.
Subsequently, Champat Rai and Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility for the controversy, while the Uttar Pradesh government extended the tenure of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) by 15 days to widen the scope of its probe.
Police continue to record statements from key individuals as part of the ongoing investigation. (ANI)