India: Congress Leader Ajay Rai Claims Arrest Amid Ram Temple Donation Embezzlement Controversy

Ajay Rai, the head of India’s opposition Congress party in Uttar Pradesh, alleged that he was detained by police upon arriving in the northern city of Ayodhya with a party delegation on Monday to visit the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, as a corruption controversy surrounding temple donations intensifies.

“The BJP government’s dictatorship has reached its peak!” Rai said in a post on X, blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party for his “arrest.”

“I had just arrived in Ayodhya when the BJP government got so scared that the police arrested me from the hotel and are taking me away in their jeep,” he said in the post.

The government did not immediately comment on Rai’s claims.

Rai’s post included a video which showed the regional opposition leader seated on a chair in a hotel room while at least two police officers in uniform stood by.

The leader questioned the officers why the government had an issue with him offering prayers at the temple. Officers, who appeared cordial and smiling, said they would ensure he offered prayers but requested him to understand their position.

Rai’s wife released a video statement late Monday night expressing concern for his safety.

Opposition Pressures Modi, BJP Over Alleged Temple Donation Theft

Rai and a larger Congress party delegation are scheduled to visit the Ram Mandir on Tuesday, despite the growing controversy over claims that donations to the temple have been embezzled. It remains unclear if opposition politicians will proceed with their temple visit.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2024 and represents a major symbol of success for India’s ruling Hindu nationalist government.

The temple’s construction was politically contentious as it was built on the site of the Babri mosque, which was destroyed by violent Hindu nationalist mobs in 1992. Building the temple was a central promise of Modi and his ministers during their campaigns in 2014 and 2019.

The temple trust was established under a Home Ministry notification, with trustees including close associates of Prime Minister Modi and his government.

Opposition leaders and critics have been attempting to connect the Modi government to the alleged theft, with the controversy becoming a political battleground between the ruling BJP and opposition parties.

Prime Minister Modi has not yet commented on the issue.

Uttar Pradesh state officials are currently investigating the graft allegations. On Monday, a local court in Ayodhya sent all individuals implicated in the so-called donation scam to judicial custody for two weeks, according to a Hindustan Times report.

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