Bengaluru,August 24
The Karnataka government will write to the Centre seeking an impartial investigation into allegations of misuse and misappropriation of donations collected for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Muzrai, Fisheries, Ports and Inland Water Transport Minister K.S. Basavanthappa informed the Legislative Council on Monday that the State government would examine the allegations and urge the Union government to initiate a fair probe. He said stringent legal action should be taken against anyone found responsible for diverting or misusing the funds.
The Minister was responding to a notice raised under Rule 330 by several members of the Legislative Council. The members sought government intervention over reports alleging financial irregularities and corruption in the handling of donations and offerings made by devotees for the temple’s construction.
According to the notice, lakhs of devotees from Karnataka had contributed hundreds of crores of rupees towards the Ram Mandir project. The contributions were made with deep religious faith and the expectation that the money would be used solely for constructing and developing the temple, the members said.
They expressed concern that reports of alleged irregularities in the management of the collected funds had caused anxiety among devotees and hurt their religious sentiments. The members maintained that the seriousness of the allegations warranted an independent and transparent inquiry.
Responding to the concerns, Basavanthappa said the State government would study the matter before formally approaching the Centre. Since the allegations related to donations collected for the Ayodhya temple project, the Karnataka government would request the Union government to ensure that the claims were examined impartially.
The Minister added that accountability must be fixed if the investigation establishes any financial wrongdoing. The proposed communication to the Centre is expected to highlight the concerns raised by Karnataka’s devotees and seek appropriate legal action against those found guilty of misusing contributions.
