The Congress party has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple, claiming the ruling BJP has been misappropriating devotees' offerings for years. Senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said the current case, being probed by Uttar Pradesh Police, is not the first instance of embezzlement at the temple.
Meanwhile, Mahant Das, a trust member, said the inquiry into irregularities involving gold, silver and other offerings has reached its final stage.
The controversy has also sparked political attacks. Poonawalla criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for staging a skit in Parliament about the theft, accusing the opposition of having faith only in vote-bank politics and not in Lord Ram.