Mounting a scathing attack on the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) over its letter to the Ayodhya police seeking action against Opposition leaders who have alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple, the Congress on Monday (July 6, 2026) described the move as a “classic case of the pot calling the kettle black”.
In a strongly worded post on social media platform X, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said the letter was an attempt to deflect attention from allegations against those linked to the temple Trust.
On Sunday (July 5, 2026), the VHP had written to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Uttar Pradesh Police, asking them to examine claims made by several Opposition leaders, including Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal regarding the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple. The VHP had urged the SIT to summon Opposition leaders to substantiate their allegations.
Hitting back, Mr. Venugopal said the VHP’s demand was “absurd” and “shameless”, especially when the organisation itself had previously faced allegations from the Nirmohi Akhara over an alleged “₹1,400-crore Ram Mandir scam”.
“The demand is as absurd as it is shameless. Having itself come under the scanner, the VHP has neither the moral authority nor the credibility to point fingers at the Opposition,” the Congress leader said in a post on social media platform X.
The Congress reiterated its demand for an independent, Supreme Court-monitored investigation, with Mr. Venugopal describing the current SIT probe as “an elaborate mechanism to protect the plunderers of Ram Mandir”.
Why were Opposition leaders being targeted when the temple trust itself was constituted under the watch of the ruling establishment, he asked.
“The trust was set up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Its general secretary Champat Rai is a VHP vice-president and RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) pracharak, and its chairman is a former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, awarded Padma Bhushan by the BJP. The Centre and the State government are BJP-ruled. In such a situation, how are Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav or any other Opposition leader relevant to the matter?” Mr. Venugopal asked.
Mr. Venugopal alleged that the Ram Temple movement had long been shadowed by charges of “chanda chori” (donation theft), and the latest reports had once again raised serious questions over the handling of devotees’ donations.
“If the VHP is genuinely concerned about the sanctity of the Ram Mandir, why has it not demanded action against those within its own ranks? Why is it silent on the BJP leadership that claimed full credit for the temple’s construction but is now conspicuously absent when the Trust appointed by them is itself under scrutiny?” the Congress leader asked.
Published - July 06, 2026 03:18 pm IST
