Kalyan Congress protests over alleged Ayodhya Ram Temple donation scam

On Sunday, the Kalyan District Congress staged a protest outside the Hanuman Temple at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk in Kalyan to demand a fair investigation into an alleged donation scam involving the Ayodhya Ram Temple. The demonstration, held under the banner of the 'Raghupati Raghav Rajaram Satyagraha', concluded with the submission of a memorandum to the local police.

The protest was organised under the leadership of Adv. Naveen Singh, President of the Kalyan District Congress. Several party leaders and workers participated in the agitation, including Chander Pandey, Ranjit Dangle, Milind Pardeshi, Ajit Singh, Amol Gaikwad, Azam Shaikh, Rafiq Ghafoor Tamboli, Reena Khandekar, Nanda Gaikwad, Dashrath Patil, Harishchandra Patil, and Shreyas Singh.

To add a symbolic touch to the protest, a few Congress workers dressed up as Lord Ram, Lakshman, and Goddess Sita. The demonstration began with an aarti at the Hanuman Temple, after which the protesters staged a sit-in and raised slogans against both the state and Central governments.

Addressing the gathered protesters, Adv. Naveen Singh alleged that irregularities in the donations collected for the Ayodhya Ram Temple required an independent and transparent investigation. He demanded that all members of the temple trust be held accountable if found guilty, and urged the government to bring the truth to light.

Singh further accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) of attempting to shield those responsible. He called for a comprehensive, nationwide audit of temple trusts to ensure transparency in how public donations are managed.

Following the demonstration, the Congress workers marched to the office of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ashok Honmane. They submitted a memorandum demanding a fair inquiry into the alleged scam and strict action against those responsible. The protest remained peaceful under police supervision.