Congress puts facts relating to Ayodhya ‘land scam’ in public domain; questions silence of PM, UP CM

The Congress on Sunday alleged a scam in the purchase of land by the Ram Temple Trust in Ayodhya and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Supreme Court to "fulfill their responsibility" by ordering a court-monitored probe to find the truth.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the "loot" of funds collected in the name of Lord Ram is "continuing" at the hands of BJP leaders in Ayodhya and questioned the "silence" of the prime minister and the Supreme Court.

He alleged that a BJP leader brought 890 metres of land in Ayodhya for Rs 20 lakh in February and sold it to the Temple Trust for a whopping Rs 2.5 crore, making a profit of 1250 percent in only 79 days.

"Lord Ram's temple is being constructed as per the orders of the Supreme Court. Is it not the responsibility of the Supreme Court and its judges and the prime minister who formed the Trust, to find out the truth and investigate this.

"Shouldn't the Supreme Court take cognisance of the matter? The Supreme Court should discharge its duty... hold an audit of the entire transactions under its monitoring and punish the culprits," he told reporters when asked if the party would move the court.

"Now the question is whether the Supreme Court and the prime minister will discharge their duty, we leave it to their discretion," he said.

Surjewala said if it is anyone's responsibility, it is Prime Minister Modi's as he formed this trust.

"It is not only a question of morality, but it is also a question of constitutionality," he said, adding that the ball is now in the prime minister's court on what action he takes.

He said the people will never forgive anyone who loots donations in the name of Lord Ram.

The Congress had earlier alleged that land purchased for Rs 2 crore was sold for Rs 18.5 crore to the Trust "within minutes", as per the land deed registered on March 18 this year, and demanded an SC-monitored probe into the "scam".

On Sunday, Surjewala put out the following facts of the matter:

1. Deep Narayan is a BJP leader of Uttar Pradesh and is connected to BJP’s IT Cell. This is clear from his Facebook profile. Deep Narayan is related to BJP leader and Mayor of Ayodhya, Shri Rishikesh Upadhyaya, whom he describes as his ‘maternal uncle’. This is also well known that Rishikesh Upadhyaya is a personal favourite of Shri Narendra Modi and Shri Aditya Nath.

2. On 20th February, 2021; Deep Narayan purchased ‘Haveli Avadh’ in Ayodhya measuring 890 square metres for a total sale price of Rs.20 lakh. As per the sale deed, purchase rate of land is Rs.2,247 per square metre. The sale deed itself mentions that the value of land as prescribed at collector rate by U.P. Government is Rs.4,000 per square metre.

3. Just after 79 days i.e. on 11th May, 2021; the same BJP leader, Deep Narayan sells this land to ‘Sri Ram Janamabhoomi Teerth Kshetra through Shri Champat Rai’ for Rs.2,50,00,000 (Two and Half crore). Hence, purchase rate of land by the Ram Mandir Construction Trust is Rs. 28,090 per square metre although the value of land as per collector rate is a mere Rs.4,000 per square metre.

4. The loot of donation for construction of Lord Ram Mandir is clear. Please see the facts:-

(I) In mere 79 days, value of the land has increased by 1,250% i.e. at Rs.3,00,000 per day. The land that was purchased on 20th February, 2021 for a mere Rs.20 lakh has been sold to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth-Khetra Trust on 11th May, 2021 for Rs.2,50,00,000. If this is not brazen loot, then what is it?

(II) The land that was purchased by BJP leader, Deep Narayan for a price of Rs. 2,247 per square metre has been sold to the Ram Mandir Construction Trust at Rs.28,090 per square metre within a period of 79 days. This is despite the fact that Adityanath Government of Uttar Pradesh has fixed the value of the land at Rs.4,000 per square metre. Then, how was the Ram Mandir Construction Trust duped into paying such high amount?

(III) On behalf of Ram Mandir Construction Trust, the land was purchased by Shri Champat Rai, Trustee & Secretary of the Trust. Obviously, payment was made from the donations collected from crores of devotees. Another Trustee, Shri Anil Mishra, who is a former State Karyavahak of RSS, has signed the deed as a witness. Did Shri Champat Rai and Shri Anil Mishra, the two Trustees, conduct appropriate due diligence about the reason as to why land purchased at Rs. 2,247 per square metre was sold to the Ram Mandir Construction Trust at an astronomically high price of Rs.28,090 per square metre? Why was an amount, which is 12.5 times the original purchase price, was paid by the Trustees?

(IV) The seller, Deep Narayan is leader of BJP and is connected to BJP’s IT Cell. Not only this, Deep Narayan claims to be ‘maternal nephew’ of senior BJP leader & Ayodhya Mayor, Shri Rishikesh Upadhyaya. The purchaser of the land on behalf of the Ram Mandir Construction Trust i.e. Shri Champat Rai as also the witness on the sale deed i.e. Shri Anil Mishra also come from BJP-RSS Background and ideology. What, then, is the connection?

(V) Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, President of Ram Mandir Construction Trust, has already stated publicly that he is not being consulted about the affairs of the Trust for last one year nor is any transparency being followed. Even Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati has openly come out and spoken against irregularities in affairs of the Trust. Who is, then, accountable?

5. Even earlier, it has been exposed that the land purchased for merely Rs.2 crore on 18th March, 2021 was sold to Ram Mandir Construction Trust within 5 minutes thereof at an astronomically high price of Rs.18.5 crore. Even in those two sale deeds-agreement, the purchaser on behalf of the Trust was Shri Champat Rai. The witness was Anil Mishra, Trustee. Another witness was BJP leader & Ayodhya Mayor, Shri Rishikesh Upadhyaya. Even in those sale deeds-agreement, the seller Ravi Mohan Tiwari, who sold the land to Mandir Trust for insurmountable profit, was related to Ayodhya Mayor & BJP leader, Shri Rishikesh Upadhyaya.

Surjewala posed five questions to Prime Minister Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath:

1. What is the reason for intriguing silence of Modiji-Adityanathji on the brazen loot of crores in the donations collected for construction of Ram Mandir? Why have the PM-CM not spoken against the culprits?

2. Will PM-CM answer to the Nation as to why the value of land sold to Ram Mandir Construction Trust increase by 1,250% in mere 79 days?

3. Once BJP Government of U.P. has assessed the value of land at Rs.4,000 per square metre, why did the Ram Mandir Construction Trust purchase the land at an astronomically high value of Rs.28,090 per square metre?

4. Are BJP leaders involved in these brazen loot and plunder of donations collected for construction of Ram Mandir?

5. In how many other sale transactions for purchase of land for construction of Ram Mandir has similar loot and plunder taken place? Should the Supreme Court not be asked to conduct a full audit of the entire money received and spent along with conducting an investigation into the plunder of donation by over-valued sale transaction?