The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday demanded a thorough investigation and punishment for those found guilty of pilfering donations to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. It also urged the Hindu society to show “necessary patience and restraint to thwart the conspiracies of anti-Hindu and anti-national forces seeking to malign the Hindu dharma and society by exploiting this unfortunate incident.”Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed as RSS seeks thorough probe into Ram Temple donation theft case. (HT file)Dattatreya Hosabale, sarkaryavah (general secretary) of the RSS said, “It is essential to ensure that anyone found guilty after the investigation faces severe punishment.”RSS breaks silenceThis is the first time that a senior RSS leader has commented publicly on the swirling controversy. It came on a day former Bharatiya Janata Party MP and Bajrang Dal founder Vinay Katiyar said Champat Rai, Gopal Rao and Anil Mishra may have to go to jail in the coming days. Katiyar demanded that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust be reconstituted and said that he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the donation controversy.The police have arrested eight men in connection with the controversy. Rai and Mishra have resigned from the trust.Taking cognisance of the controversy that has put the Sangh in a bind, Hosabale said it was natural for the entire Hindu society, including the RSS, to expect the trust to treat this “highly condemnable incident” as an extraordinary matter and take effective steps to rectify all shortcomings in temple management and operations. “This is crucial to ensure that the faith and reverence of crores of Ram devotees in the Ayodhya temple remain unbroken and steadfast. The current state of confusion and uncertainty must end… In this regard, we expect the temple management and the government-appointed SIT to take all necessary initiatives,” he said in a statement.The Ram Janmabhoomi campaign that culminated in the construction of the Ram Temple was led by RSS affiliate Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The controversy over the donations has led to a political crisis for the ruling BJP, the political arm of the Sangh.The issue will also be discussed at the Sangh’s upcoming Prant Pracharak Baithak in Karnataka from July 10. “The grand temple constructed at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi has become a centre of reverence, faith, and devotion for the entire Hindu society, owing to the struggles of generations and the dedication, sacrifice, and martyrdom of crores of Rambhakts. (devotees.) The unfortunate incident of theft in the donation boxes kept at the Shri Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya has deeply hurt the sentiments and faith of the entire society and Ram devotees; we are all extremely pained and angered by this event,” Hosabale said.RSS backs SIT, seeks trust reformsGiven the ramifications that the donation theft can have for the Sangh and the BJP ahead of the UP assembly elections scheduled for early next year, the Sangh has backed the Yogi Adityanath government’s decision to form a SIT.“At the earnest request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and initiated legal proceedings based on its recommendations. It is essential to ensure that anyone found guilty after the investigation faces severe punishment,” Hosabale said.He also urged the entire Hindu society to “display necessary patience and restraint during this difficult moment and to thwart the conspiracies of anti-Hindu and anti-national forces seeking to malign the Hindu dharma and society by exploiting this unfortunate incident.”Separately, Katiyar described the row as an attack on the country’s religious culture and the faith of millions. “I spoke to PM Modi on this matter. He asked what would happen next. I told him that everything would be fine,” he said.“It is possible that in the coming days, Champat Rai, Gopal Rao and Anil Mishra may have to go to jail.”Stating that it was clear that money was embezzled, Katiyar said, “Consider it a robbery in God’s house. This incident has sent the wrong message across the country.” He added that he was confident that appropriate action will be taken against the guilty.Expressing satisfaction over the SIT probe, he said it should move forward impartially, although he alleged that attempts were being made to protect some people.Cong slams RSS ‘clean chit’ in temple caseThe Congress on Friday said the “clean chit” given by the RSS in the Ram temple donations “embezzlement” issue is “disgraceful and shameful” and a desperate damage control aimed at sanitising it.Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh dubbed the RSS as a “fraudulent outfit”, while the opposition party’s media and publicity head, Pawan Khera, said the organisation is “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”. “The clean chit given by the RSS is disgraceful and shameful. The fact is ‘chanda chori’ on a large scale by people very much part of its network has taken place. It is a fraudulent outfit,” Ramesh said in a post on X.“The way the RSS is defending the trust despite such a humongous theft is not only shameful, it exposes the RSS’ real priorities,” he told reporters later.