Uttar Pradesh Congress State President Ajay Rai and others offer prayers at Hanuman Temple, in Ayodhya, on June 30, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
A delegation of Congress MPs from Uttar Pradesh, led by State unit chief Ajay Rai, offered prayers at the Ram Temple shrine in Ayodhya on Tuesday evening (June 30, 2026). Heavy police force was deployed around the temple since morning amid a face-off between Congress leaders and the local administration.
The late evening development came after hours of talks and allegations of “house arrest” during which delegation members, including Mr. Rai and four Lok Sabha MPs, said they were either stopped on the way to Ayodhya, confined to their homes or detained by the police.
The visit was scheduled in the wake of allegations that donations made at the Ram Temple have been embezzled, sparking a political firestorm. Eight people have been arrested and the U.P. police are continuing to investigate, even as Opposition parties have called for a probe monitored by the Supreme Court.
Impartial investigation is not happening; Ajay Rai
After visiting Hanumangarhi and the temple, Mr. Rai said: “An impartial investigation is not happening. The functionaries of the Ram Temple must be investigated.” He also demanded that the temple trust be dissolved and that Shankaracharyas, seers and Ayodhya residents get a place in it.
Earlier in the day, The U.P. Congress chief said he was “confined alone” in the guest house at Acharya Narendra Dev University and was being subjected to “utter mental torture”. “I am adamant that I will not go without seeing Lord Ram,” Mr. Rai told The Hindu.
The Congress delegation included Mr. Rai and four Lok Sabha MPs from U.P. — Kishori Lal Sharma, Rakesh Rathore, Ujjwal Raman Singh, and Tanuj Punia — who had planned to go to Ayodhya on Tuesday (June 30) to worship Lord Ram.
Congress workers across the State protested against the police action. In Bhadohi, for instance, a protest was held outside the district magistrate’s office and a memorandum was submitted to the U.P. Governor. Protests were also held in Varanasi, Moradabad, Lucknow, and Barabanki.
However, there was no official word on the action against them.
With inputs from PTI
Published – July 01, 2026 02:44 am IST
