Ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and LoP in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an independent probe into the financial affairs of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.The duo also demanded that the findings and the Trust’s accounts should be made public so that every devotee knows how their offerings have been utilised.In the letter, jointly written by Kharge and Gandhi, they called Modi’s “silence” over the theft of Ram Mandir donations “unacceptable” and former temple general secretary Champat Rai a “disgrace”.“Your silence now in the face of such crime is unacceptable. It is your duty to ensure accountability and restitution. (Ram Temple Trust’s disgraced former general secretary was also your close associate,” the letter read.Ahead of the monsoon session, they urged the PM to “immediately order an independent and comprehensive investigation into the financial affairs of the Trust, including the handling of all offerings including cash, gold and silver”.The letter, which was posted by Kharge on his social media handle on Jattvibeday, read, “You are aware of the theft of thousands of crores in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Lakhs of devotees who donated their hard-earned money with faith, devotion and trust are feeling betrayed by the theft.”“You announced the formation of the Trust in Parliament on the directions of the Supreme Court, but its members have been solely appointed by your government. It is public knowledge that the members of the Trust are affiliated with the RSS, VHP and its affiliates,” the leaders added.Sharing the letter on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also urged the PM to break his silence on the issue. “It is only appropriate that the two LoPs have written to the PM on the “Chanda chori, astha dhoka” involving the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya.In one of his rare token appearances in the Lok Sabha on February 5, 2020, the PM had taken full credit while announcing the establishment of this Trust, which has betrayed the faith and devotion of crores of devotees across the country.“Pradhan Mantri Chuppi Todo!” Ramesh further wrote in the post, while sharing the letter and a video of the PM speaking in Parliament while announcing the formation of the Trust.The development comes nearly a month after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe the alleged embezzlement of donations at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.