Author name: OnlineAge

NEW DELHI : Stepping up its attack on the government over the Ram temple donation embezzlement case, the Congress on Sunday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “silence” and said the country will never forgive the BJP-RSS for their “betrayal of faith”. Pointing out that Congress leaders have held 48 press conferences across the country on the issue, party general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh demanded that the prime minister “break his silence” on the “theft scandal”. Prior to this, answers were sought from the prime minister through eight press conferences held at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi between June 26 and July 9, Ramesh said in an X post in Hindi. “No matter how hard Prime Minister Modi, the RSS and the BJP try, the Congress will not rest until it compels Prime Minister Modi to be held accountable for this betrayal: the theft of donations at the Lord Shri Ram temple in Ayodhya, which has struck a blow to the faith of crores of people across the country,” Ramesh said, sharing screenshots from 13 press conferences held by the party on Sunday, including in Manipur, Goa, Madurai and Bhubaneswar. Ramesh accused the BJP-RSS of collecting donations in the name of Lord Ram while running a “racket of theft” behind the scenes. The heinous act of donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya is a massive deception perpetrated against his devotees, Ramesh asserted. “All indications so far suggest that the prime minister and the top leadership of the BJP-RSS utilised the SIT to provide a ‘safe exit’ to their close associates responsible for this theft; furthermore, the actions taken by the Uttar Pradesh Police have proven to be nothing more than an attempt to shield the true masterminds behind this murky affair,” he said. Ramesh reiterated the party’s demands for an independent investigation supervised by the Supreme Court, a forensic audit, a fixation of accountability and strict action against the guilty. In an earlier X post, Ramesh had said, “Donation Theft: A Betrayal of Faith. A month has passed since the theft of donations at the Lord Shri Ram Temple came to light, yet Prime Minister Modi, who is quick to claim credit for everything, remains silent when it comes to accountability.” New facts emerging daily are exposing those who have politicised the Ram temple issue, he said. Even the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted ostensibly to resolve the matter, has been forced to acknowledge the daily disappearance of lakhs of rupees in offerings, Ramesh said. “The theft of donations at the Lord Shri Ram Temple cannot be limited to just a few employees; yet, this government — hostile to the cause of Ram — is intent on shielding the real culprits,” he alleged. The Congress has consistently maintained that the SIT, the FIR, and the resignations are merely attempts to hoodwink the nation, Ramesh said. Government efforts to suppress the matter make it evident that Champat Rai and other temple trustees harbour deep secrets; this is why the Modi government is taking no action against them, and their influence remains intact, Ramesh said. “The Congress demands the following: An independent and impartial investigation supervised by the Supreme Court, a forensic audit, fixation of accountability, strict action against the guilty,” he said. “Prime Minister, the nation wants to know: Why this silence? The country will never forgive the BJP and RSS for this planned betrayal of faith, perpetrated under Modi’s patronage,” Ramesh alleged. The Congress on Saturday sought to corner Prime Minister Modi over the alleged embezzlement of donations, questioning his “silence” on the issue and saying it will demand answers from him in the upcoming Parliament session. Under attack from the Congress and others, the BJP has maintained that those found guilty of wrongdoing in the case will not be spared and alleged that the opposition parties, which never supported Ram temple construction, were using the issue to divide Hindus. The alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations came to light on June 7. An FIR was registered on June 25, following a preliminary report from the SIT constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government. Eight people associated with the temple’s donation and counting process have been arrested so far, while the investigation is continuing. (Source: PTI)    

NEW DELHI :  The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), in collaboration with the Government of Meghalaya, will organise a two-day National Conference on the theme “NextGen Administrative & e-Gov Reforms” in Shillong on July 13 and 14, bringing together policymakers, administrators, technology experts and governance practitioners from across the country, it was announced on Sunday. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, along with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, will address the inaugural session of the conference. The inaugural session will also be addressed by Secretary, DARPG, Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Nivedita Shukla Verma, and Meghalaya Chief Secretary Dr. Shakil P. Ahammed. More than 300 delegates, including senior officials from the Central and State governments, District Collectors, policymakers, domain experts, representatives from academic institutions and public administration practitioners, are expected to participate in the event. The conference aims to serve as a national platform for deliberating on the future of public administration and digital governance while encouraging the exchange of innovative ideas and best practices among states and Union Territories. During the two-day event, delegates will witness presentations on Prime Minister’s Award-winning initiatives for 2023 and 2024, National Awards for e-Governance-winning projects, best governance practices from the Government of Meghalaya, and DARPG-assisted State Collaborative Initiatives (SCI) from the North Eastern region. The presentations will cover a wide range of themes, including holistic district development, digital governance, cybersecurity, public service delivery, healthcare, education, banking, consumer protection, urban governance, rural development and technology-enabled administration. The conference will begin with a dedicated session showcasing Meghalaya’s governance innovations and citizen-centric reforms aimed at strengthening service delivery and improving administrative efficiency. Another session will highlight Prime Minister’s Award-winning initiatives, featuring successful district-level governance models in areas such as holistic development, education, rural livelihoods and the Aspirational District Programme. Participants will also be introduced to the National Awards for e-Governance 2026-winning projects, demonstrating the use of emerging technologies in urban governance, healthcare, digital banking, pilgrimage management, Panchayati Raj, consumer protection and cybersecurity. These projects are expected to offer scalable governance models for adoption across the country. (Source: IANS)