Congress Slams BJP As 'Chanda Chor Party' Over Ram Temple Donation Embezzlement

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) : The Congress party has launched a fierce offensive against the ruling BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), coining the moniker "Chanda Chor Party" in the wake of an unfolding donation embezzlement scandal at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.  

The controversy erupted following preliminary findings by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Uttar Pradesh government. An FIR was registered on June 25, leading to the arrest of eight individuals. However, the opposition alleges that these arrests only scratch the surface of a deep-rooted financial scam within the temple trust.

Addressing reporters, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the ruling party of built-in corruption, stating that the BJP's political model has devolved into a three-pronged strategy of "vote chori, seat chori, chanda chori" (vote theft, seat theft, and donation theft). Ramesh questioned the conspicuous silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, arguing that those who took credit for the grand temple inauguration must answer for the siphoning of "thousands of crores" in public donations.  

Demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe, the Congress linked the Ayodhya temple trust dispute directly to the scrapped Electoral Bonds scheme, calling systematic fundraising misconduct part of the BJP's "DNA". The political fallout has since intensified, with several Congress leaders, including UP Congress chief Ajay Rai, facing detentions and house arrests during planned protests in Ayodhya.  The BJP-RSS ecosystem has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated election gimmicks. However, as opposition leaders build momentum around the "Chanda Chor" narrative, the controversy is rapidly transforming into a major political flashpoint.