Ram Mandir Donation Scam: What Is the Government Hiding?

4 days ago 20

#RamMandir #ChandaLoot #Corruption Millions of devotees across India gave their hard-earned money to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. However, alarming reports of a massive donation theft of crores of rupees have shaken public trust, raising serious questions about how the Ram Mandir Trust’s finances are managed. In this edition of Jaanne Bhi Do Yaaro, senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan joins transparency activists Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri to discuss the veil of secrecy surrounding the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and how the government and the Trust are evading transparency and accountability. Unlike major shrine boards across the country—such as Vaishno Devi, Jagannath Temple, and Kashi Vishwanath—which operate under specific legislative statutes with built-in public oversight, the Ram Mandir Trust was deliberately set up through a Trust deed. The Trust and the government have resisted transparency under the RTI Act by claiming it is not a public authority under the RTI Act. The decision of the Central Information Commission (CIC) has put the Trust beyond the scope of questioning by devotees and citizens. Citizens have no recourse to the RTI Act to ask for the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the Trust to manage donations, CCTV footage from the cash-counting rooms, or financial audits. Despite the Prime Minister personally announcing the Trust's formation in Parliament and doing the Pran Pratishtha cermony to unveil the idol, the PM and Central Government are silent about the serious allegations of the donation theft scam at the Mandir. The Ministry of Home Affairs has classified the entire file regarding the setting up of the Trust as "confidential," citing the grounds that disclosure could endanger lives. The response to the financial irregularities has further fueled public outrage- Rather than handing the probe over to independent central agencies like the CBI or ED, the investigation was relegated to a state-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT). While an FIR was eventually registered, it names only junior staff and minor functionaries, leaving senior office-bearers and trustees untouched. This opacity fits into a broader, troubling trend of trusts collecting large sums of public money being structured specifically to bypass accountability under the RTI Act and legislative oversight—much like the PM CARES Fund. When institutions operating on public faith and public funds operate in total secrecy, corruption inevitably thrives. Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join

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