AMN / Bhopal
Congress leader and Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh on Friday announced that he will undertake a foot march from Ujjain to Ayodhya beginning October 2, protesting the alleged misappropriation of donations and other alleged irregularities linked to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple and the Ujjain pilgrimage area.
Addressing reporters outside his residence in Bhopal, Singh also put up posters reading “Entry Prohibited for Donation Thieves”. He alleged that the reported theft of offerings at the Ram Temple had deeply hurt the faith of millions of devotees and demanded accountability for those responsible.
Announcing the proposed march, Singh said it would commence from the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain and conclude in Ayodhya. He described the yatra as a protest against what he alleged were financial irregularities involving temple donations and land-related matters.
“The Ram Temple construction fund was collected twice. Like millions of devotees, I contributed on both occasions because of my faith in Lord Ram. However, the allegations that have now surfaced are before everyone. Reports suggest that between 10 and 20 per cent of the daily offerings were being siphoned off,” Singh claimed.
He further said that he intends to move a court seeking the return of the donations he had contributed for the construction of the Ram Temple. According to Singh, if the amount is refunded, he would donate it to the Ramalaya Trust.
The senior Congress leader also levelled allegations regarding the management of land associated with the Mahakaleshwar Temple area in Ujjain. He claimed that a parcel of land allotted by the erstwhile Sunderlal Patwa government to an RSS-linked trust was originally used for a rest house but is now being developed into a 100-room hotel after the demolition of a Saraswati Shishu Mandir building. He further alleged that visitors staying at the proposed facility are offered VIP access to the Mahakaleshwar Temple in exchange for payment.
Singh said his proposed march would raise issues relating to the alleged theft of donations and offerings, as well as what he described as land-related irregularities concerning both the Ujjain Teerth Kshetra and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra.
He maintained that the march would be non-political in nature and would not be conducted under the banner of any political party. According to Singh, the yatra would be open to all devotees who have faith in Lord Ram and had contributed towards the construction of the Ram Temple.
The Congress veteran also said he would refrain from using social media during the course of the foot march.
The allegations made by Singh have not been independently verified, and there was no immediate response from the organisations or authorities named by him at the time of filing this report.