Ram Mandir Trust must give accounts of temple donations: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing with the emotions of the people in the name of God, Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday demanded Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust to give accounts of donations collected to construct Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.

"BJP is playing with the emotions of people in the name of God. It is the duty of the Trust to give the accounts of the donations collected to build Ram Mandir," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

He also asked, "What is wrong in asking for the audit and accounts?"

The Congress leader further went on to say that it is "unfortunate" that BJP leaders are using Ram Mandir for political gains.

"We are also constructing a Ram Mandir in our village. Even we have faith in God. Our beliefs are our personal issues and should not be used as a political tool. It is unfortunate that BJP leaders are using Ram Mandir construction for their political benefits," he said.

Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust, which was constituted to look after the construction and management of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, is conducting a mass contact and contribution campaign for the construction of the temple. The campaign was undertaken on January 15 and will continue till February 27.

On November 9, 2019, a five-judge of the Supreme Court bench led by then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi ruled in favour of Ram Lalla and said that the entire disputed land spread over 2.7 acres will be handed over to a trust formed by the government, which will monitor the construction of a Ram Temple at the site.

In February 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the constitution of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, to oversee the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

On August 5, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed the 'bhoomi pujan' for the construction of Ram Temple.