Shimla/Dharamshala :
The Congress on Tuesday intensified its campaign over the alleged irregularities in donations collected for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya by staging coordinated protests across Himachal Pradesh. Party leaders described the demonstrations as a campaign to seek transparency and accountability, alleging that the issue had deeply hurt the religious sentiments of millions of devotees.
The protests, organised on the call of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, witnessed participation from senior party leaders, legislators, former legislators, office-bearers and hundreds of workers in several districts, with the largest demonstrations taking place in Shimla and Dharamshala.
In Dharamshala, the Kangra District Congress Committee organised a protest march led by Rajya Sabha MP and District Congress Committee President Anurag Sharma. Carrying placards and raising slogans, Congress workers assembled at the Post Office Chowk before marching to the Hanuman Mandir at Kachhari Adda.
Addressing the gathering, Sharma alleged that the alleged misappropriation of donations collected in the name of Lord Ram had shaken the faith of devotees across India and abroad. He demanded a transparent, impartial and high-level inquiry into the matter, saying those responsible should be identified and held accountable.
Following the march, party leaders and workers gathered at the Hanuman Mandir, where they recited the Hanuman Chalisa and participated in devotional prayers. Congress leaders maintained that their protest was aimed at protecting the faith of devotees rather than pursuing political objectives, warning that the agitation would be intensified through democratic means if a fair investigation was not initiated.
The Dharamshala protest was attended by Youth Services and Sports Minister Yadvinder Goma, MLAs Ashish Butail, Sanjay Rattan, Kewal Singh Pathania, Kishori Lal and Malendra Rajan, former MP Viplove Thakur, along with chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of various state boards and corporations and a large number of Congress workers.
Meanwhile, in Shimla, Congress leaders and workers marched from Rajiv Bhawan, the party’s state headquarters, to the Ram Mandir while singing devotional hymns dedicated to Lord Ram. Similar demonstrations were organised in district headquarters across the state.
Addressing protesters in Shimla, Congress leader and MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore accused the BJP of attempting to shield those allegedly involved in the donation controversy. He alleged that the investigation was not being conducted with complete transparency and claimed that facts were being concealed.
Rathore said the issue involved the trust and religious sentiments of millions of devotees who had contributed generously towards the construction of the Ram Mandir. He questioned the silence of the Central Government and called for a credible and transparent investigation into the alleged financial irregularities.
Shimla Rural District Congress Committee President Harikrishan Himral said the protest campaign would not remain confined to district headquarters and would now be expanded to block and village levels across Himachal Pradesh. He said the party intended to take the issue directly to the people in the coming weeks.
The demonstrations witnessed the participation of several senior Congress leaders, including office-bearers of the Pradesh Congress Committee, elected representatives, former legislators, heads of frontal organisations, local body representatives and a large number of party workers.
The coordinated protests reflect the Congress party’s decision to make the alleged Ram Mandir donation controversy a major political issue, with the party seeking to project itself as demanding accountability and transparency in the handling of public donations linked to one of the country’s most significant religious projects. The BJP has, however, rejected allegations made by the opposition on the issue, while investigations by the concerned authorities remain underway.
