Amid allegations of embezzlement of Ram temple donations in Ayodhya, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) on Saturday ordered an inquiry into similar allegations concerning offerings at Badrinath Dham. BKTC President Hemant Dwivedi stated that the temple committee has taken the allegations circulating on social media seriously and has ordered the formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the matter. He added that explanations have also been sought from the employees concerned.
However, Dwivedi refuted a claim circulating on social media identifying a specific employee as his 'personal secretary' and clarified that the individual in question is not his personal secretary but a regular government employee of the BKTC.
Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee says strict action will be taken against culprits
He asserted that if the allegations are proven true during the investigation, no guilty party will be spared, and strict action will be taken. Apart from him, BKTC Chief Executive Officer Sohan Singh Rangad mentioned that the inquiry committee will submit its report based on available evidence, CCTV footage and statements from the parties concerned.
Rangad stated that if any irregularities come to light, legal and departmental action will be taken against the guilty under the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Act, 1939, and the employee conduct rules. He appealed to the public to refrain from spreading any unverified or misleading allegations until the investigation is concluded.
Re-audit of Ram Temple trust's accounts will be conducted by SIT
Amid demands by the Opposition for public accounting of the Ram temple donations and a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the embezzlement issue, sources on Friday told PTI that a re-audit of the temple trust's accounts will be conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
As the Opposition parties continued with their attack, senior BJP leader and former MP Vinay Katiyar said he has spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, he added, "expressed concern" over the donations theft issue.
He also said former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai, ex-trustee Anil Mishra and temple official Gopal Rao "may have escaped going to jail for now, but may still go later".
SIT probing the alleged embezzlement will carry out a detailed scrutiny
Sources said the SIT probing the alleged embezzlement will carry out a detailed scrutiny of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust's financial records for an entire five-year period and the re-audit will cover construction-related expenditure as well as jewellery and other gold and silver items received as donations.
The RSS reacted for the first time to the alleged theft of funds, saying this has "deeply hurt" the faith of Ram devotees and all of society, and the SIT must ensure the guilty face severe punishment. "We are all extremely pained and angered by this event," RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said in a statement on X.
Asserting that "anti-Hindu and anti-national forces" are seeking to malign Hindu dharma by exploiting the "unfortunate incident", Hosabale called on all Hindus to display necessary patience and restraint to thwart such "conspiracies".
The Congress was quick to react, saying the "clean chit" given by the RSS is "disgraceful and shameful" and a desperate damage control aimed at sanitising it. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh dubbed the RSS as a "fraudulent outfit", while the opposition party's media and publicity head, Pawan Khera, said the organisation is "a wolf in sheep's clothing".
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RSS calls for impartial probe in Ram Temple donation theft case, urges Hindus to exercise restraint
