A delegation of Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh, led by State unit chief Ajay Rai, was allowed to offer prayers at the Ram Temple shrine in Ayodhya on Tuesday evening, following a face-off with the local administration. The visit came after hours of talks and allegations of ‘house arrest’ during which delegation members, including Mr. Rai and four Lok Sabha MPs, claimed they were either stopped on the way to Ayodhya, confined to their homes, or detained by the police. Heavy police force was deployed around the temple since morning.
The delegation’s visit was scheduled in the wake of allegations that donations made at the Ram Temple have been embezzled, sparking a political firestorm. Eight people have been arrested, and the U.P. police are continuing to investigate, even as Opposition parties have called for a probe monitored by the Supreme Court. After visiting Hanumangarhi and the temple, Mr. Rai stated that ‘an impartial investigation is not happening.
The functionaries of the Ram Temple must be investigated.’ He also demanded that the temple trust be dissolved and that Shankaracharyas, seers, and Ayodhya residents get a place in it. Earlier in the day, Mr. Rai claimed he was ‘confined alone’ in the guest house at Acharya Narendra Dev University and was being subjected to ‘utter mental torture.’ He said, ‘I am adamant that I will not go without seeing Lord Ram.’ The Congress delegation included Mr. Rai and four Lok Sabha MPs from U.P. - Kishori Lal Sharma, Rakesh Rathore, Ujjwal Raman Singh, and Tanuj Punia - who had planned to go to Ayodhya to worship Lord Ram. Congress workers across the State protested against the police action, with protests held in Bhadohi, Varanasi, Moradabad, Lucknow, and Barabanki.
However, there was no official word on the action against them.
