‘Govt Cannot Dismiss Ram Temple Donation Row As State Issue’
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and others stage a protest over alleged theft of Ayodhya's Ram temple donations during the monsoon session of Parliament in New Delhi on Aug. 12, 2026 (Image: PTI)
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday accused the Centre of avoiding questions in Parliament over allegations of misappropriation of donations collected for the Ram temple, saying the BJP could not now describe the issue as a state matter after using the temple extensively for political campaigning ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament House Complex, Priyanka Gandhi said devotees across India and abroad had contributed money out of their faith in Lord Ram and therefore deserved transparency about how the funds were handled.
“People gave donations for their faith. Poor people gave donations as they were told that it is for the temple,” she said.
The Congress leader questioned the Centre’s argument that the alleged irregularities fell within the jurisdiction of a state government. She argued that the BJP had presented the construction and inauguration of the Ram temple as a national political issue when it sought votes, making it difficult for the government to now distance itself from questions surrounding the temple’s donations.
“When you had to run a campaign and take political mileage out of it before polls, it was not a state subject. Now it has become a state subject,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
She also pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the temple’s inauguration, which was attended by devotees and dignitaries from across the country. Given the national significance attached to the temple, she questioned why the Centre was unwilling to respond to allegations concerning the donations.
“The donations have vanished. What is this?” she asked, referring to the allegations of embezzlement.
The Congress leader also attacked the government over its silence in Parliament on police action against young protesters in Delhi and other parts of the country. She alleged that demonstrators had been subjected to excessive force, including beatings, tear gas and the use of pellet guns.
Priyanka Gandhi further alleged that an AK-47 had been used against protesters in Bihar and demanded accountability over who had authorised such action.
“The government doesn’t feel they owe an answer; they don’t even owe a statement as to how that happened. Who ordered it?” she asked.
Her remarks came amid a prolonged confrontation between the Opposition and the government, with parliamentary proceedings repeatedly disrupted during the Monsoon Session. The INDIA bloc has been protesting for more than three weeks over the allegations concerning Ram temple donations and the police response to youth-led demonstrations.
Opposition parties have demanded the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament and sought a statement from him on both issues. The continuing protests have contributed to a deadlock in the House as the Monsoon Session moves towards its conclusion.
Priyanka Gandhi defended the Opposition’s insistence on raising the issues in Parliament, saying the House was the primary institution through which the government was expected to answer questions and remain accountable to citizens.
“Parliament is the principal forum” for the government to respond to questions, she said, arguing that avoiding a discussion only deepened concerns about transparency and accountability.
The dispute over the alleged misuse of Ram temple donations has become a major political flashpoint between the Congress-led Opposition and the BJP. While the Opposition has demanded answers from the Centre, the government has maintained that matters falling under state jurisdiction should be addressed at the appropriate level.
For Priyanka Gandhi, however, the political significance of the Ram temple extends beyond state boundaries. Her central argument was that the BJP had sought nationwide political mileage from the temple and its inauguration and therefore, could not dismiss questions about donations as merely a state-level matter.
As the parliamentary session nears its end, the standoff shows little sign of easing, with the Opposition continuing to press for answers and the government facing demands to address the allegations on the floor of the House.
