Congress general secretary and Public Accounts Committee chairman KC Venugopal on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, holding the Centre responsible for ensuring accountability in the functioning of the Trust administering the temple.Sharing the letter on X, Venugopal described the alleged embezzlement of donations as a “mega scandal” and claimed that the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe was aimed at protecting those at the top.”The massive ‘chanda chori’ at the Ayodhya Ram Temple has shaken the nation. Crores of innocent devotees gave their hard-earned savings in the name of Lord Rama,” he said.Arguing that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was constituted by the Union Government following a Supreme Court verdict in the Ayodhya dispute, the Congress leader said the Centre bore responsibility for the temple’s administration.”The Ayodhya Ram Temple was built through a Supreme Court verdict, using public land and through a public Trust set up by the Government of India. What happens in the temple’s administration is solely the Centre’s responsibility,” Venugopal said.In his letter to the Prime Minister, Venugopal alleged that preliminary investigations had pointed to a “highly organised racket” operating within the temple Trust, and claimed that repeated warnings regarding irregularities had been ignored.He referred to reports that the Trust’s former Chief Accounts Officer had flagged irregularities in 2020-21 and alleged that the State Bank of India had also raised concerns over the donation counting processes and recommended action against certain staff members months before the theft came to light.The Congress leader further alleged that seven-eight months of CCTV footage had been destroyed, and claimed that the alleged theft could not have been carried out without the involvement of senior functionaries.Questioning the SIT investigation ordered by the Uttar Pradesh Government, Venugopal said only “small fish” had been arrested while those who allegedly orchestrated the embezzlement remained untouched.”Even the SIT proceedings we have seen so far are an eyewash, clearly designed to shield the ‘big fish’,” he said.Seeking the intervention of the Prime Minister, Venugopal demanded a “free and fair investigation by a high-level independent agency under the strict supervision of the Supreme Court of India”.