LUCKNOW, July 2 -- Rajendra Pal Gautam, the newly appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge, on Wednesday alleged that donations collected for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya lacked transparency, claiming that funds received even before construction began remain unaccounted for. "Donations were received both before and after the temple's construction. Even before construction began, donations worth Rs.1,400 crore had already been collected. What happened to that money is not known," he told the media. Questioning the functioning of the Ram Temple Trust, Gautam said: "Who constituted the temple trust and who inaugurated the temple? If credit is taken for all these things, why should people not also believe the allegations of theft?" He alleged that to suppress the issue, junior employees were being sent to jail. "At the Ram Temple, it isn't theft or pickpocketing but dacoity that has been going on for years. People donated in good faith, and contributions ran into thousands of crores. But these people used the faith and devotion of the people for their own politics," said Gautam, who arrived in Lucknow for the first time after being appointed the party's state in-charge. Gautam said people had come to know the truth and would give their reply in the 2027 UP assembly elections. "This reply will begin in Uttar Pradesh and spread across the country. In 2029, Rahul Gandhi will become prime minister and rid the country of these people. They are here only for a few days," he said. Gautam alleged that private security had been arranged for Champat Rai at a cost of Rs.12 crore a year, with 400 personnel hired. "If there are police and the Army, why is there private security costing Rs.1 crore a month? Does the temple trust not trust the country's police or the CRPF? There is a reason for suspicion because money has been transferred in the name of private security. If they take money in front of the police, it will be exposed. It is also a matter of concern that they took 20 days to lodge an FIR. I am a lawyer, and in a cognisable offence, the first thing to do is lodge an FIR," he said. "These people not only exploit people's faith and steal donations, but also steal MPs and MLAs, and now they have even stolen an entire political party," he alleged....