A new political dust-up has flared over the alleged Ram temple donation scam involving Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over the credibility of the probe being carried out by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Yadav said that he had concerns with transparency and impartiality of the probe and questioned: “Who will probe the SIT?” His remarks have reignited the political furore over Donations and Offerings Giving to the Ram Temple, Ayodhya which have come under a cloud.
The SIT has been formed to examine allegations about the administration and utilisation of temple funds. The inquiry is said to be being “fairly and professionally” conducted by authorities, but opposition leaders are calling for more transparency and accountability in the proceedings.
The only way to restore public trust in the investigation is to have an independent body to review and give directions to the actions and findings of the SIT, Akhilesh Yadav argued. He said that nothing can be done with just a team to investigate and no measures to ensure transparency.
The remarks are part of a growing political debate on the administration of the temples and the lack of transparency in temple finances. There have been allegations by opposition parties over how money was being used with the temple trust; the latter has subsequently denied any wrongdoing.
The dispute now has come to the investigation itself and there has been a discussion on increasing oversight, accountability and the credibility of agencies looking into public issues.