The Congress on Monday dismissed the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) demand to question Opposition leaders over the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement case, saying the organisation was trying to divert attention from the allegations, and reiterated its demand for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation.Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the VHP’s letter targeting Opposition leaders was “a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black”, alleging that the organisation itself had faced allegations in the past relating to the Ram Temple.Referring to previous allegations raised by the Nirmohi Akhara, Venugopal said the VHP had once been accused of involvement in a Rs 1,400 crore Ram Mandir scam and, therefore, had “neither the moral authority nor the credibility” to question Opposition leaders.Questioning the relevance of Congress senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other Opposition leaders in the matter, Venugopal said the Ram Temple Trust had been constituted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while its general secretary Champat Rai was the VHP’s vice-president and an RSS pracharak. He also pointed out that the Trust’s chairman had served as principal secretary to the Prime Minister and that both the Centre and Uttar Pradesh were governed by the BJP.”The VHP and the Sangh Parivar stand completely discredited,” the Lok Sabha MP Venugopal alleged, claiming that the Ram Temple movement had long faced allegations of “chanda chori”, accusing those associated with it of exploiting devotees’ faith and Lord Ram’s name for political and financial gain.He also questioned why the VHP had not sought action against those allegedly involved in the case from within its own ranks and why the BJP leadership, which had taken credit for the construction of the Ram Temple, was now silent when the Trust was under scrutiny.Alleging that the VHP was trying to deflect attention from the controversy, Venugopal said the organisation was trying to “twist facts, intimidate critics and divert attention” after being confronted with serious questions.The Congress leader reiterated the party’s demand for an independent probe monitored by the Supreme Court, alleging that the present Special Investigation Team (SIT) was “no more than an elaborate mechanism to protect the plunderers of Ram Mandir”.