The Congress party has called for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into allegations of embezzlement of donations made to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader KC Venugopal said the reported irregularities had caused widespread concern and demanded an independent and transparent probe.

He argued that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Uttar Pradesh government was not institutionally independent enough to investigate individuals with significant political influence, and alleged that the process risked being an 'eyewash'.

Venugopal further claimed that preliminary findings suggested the alleged fraud was not limited to a few employees but could involve higher-level complicity.

According to the report, an FIR was registered on June 25 against eight individuals based on a complaint by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the temple.All the accused have since been arrested.The SIT had submitted a preliminary report on June 23 to the state government, though its contents have not been made public.

However, media reports citing unidentified sources suggested that the report pointed to lapses in supervision, negligence in handling donations, and irregularities in accounting of cash and valuables.The final SIT report is expected soon.

The controversy also led to the resignation of trust general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, who stepped down citing moral responsibility.

The Ram Temple Trust, established by the Union government in 2020, has been under scrutiny amid concerns over transparency and accountability in managing public donations.

The case has gained political significance given the historical and religious importance of the Ayodhya Ram Temple, built on the site of the former Babri Masjid following the Supreme Court’s 2019 verdict allocating the land for temple construction and a separate site for a mosque.