New Delhi: The Congress Party demanded the dissolution of the trust, the immediate arrest of its former General Secretary Champat Rai, and a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter. Congress Party said that Prime Minister was accountable for the appointments to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, whose members were responsible for the irregularities. Prime Minister Modi had personally selected members of the Trust, ignoring the demands of religious leaders. He said that if those appointed by the Prime Minister were involved in wrongdoing, accountability rested with him as well.

Referring to a statement by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Gohil took a swipe at PM Modi, saying, “When the watchman remains silent, it means he is in league with the thief.” The CCTV footage covering 40 days had captured 70 instances of theft of temple offerings, audit reports from 2023 to 2025 had highlighted several lapses, thefts and the absence of CCTV cameras at key locations, but no corrective action was taken by the Trust. The purchase of land valued at Rs. 2.93 crore for Rs. 18 crores by the Trust are under big question mark.

The reports claiming Champat Rai had handed over the temple locker keys to his driver indicated either his direct involvement or gross negligence, warranting his immediate arrest. The recruitment process for temple staff, pointing out that the FIR listed accused persons with “unknown” parentage and addresses, indicating either inadequate verification by the Trust before their appointment or incomplete information being shared with the SIT.

Pointing out that daily donations had increased from Rs. 16-18 lakh to Rs. 24-26 lakh immediately after registration of an FIR in the case as the theft had stopped, Gohil alleged that nearly Rs. 10 lakh had been stolen every day earlier.

The Congress demanded that the existing Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust be dissolved and replaced with a new body comprising Shankaracharyas and saints.

Based on the Press Briefing by the senior Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil on July 8, 2026