Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai’s wife, Reena Rai, has alleged that her husband had been detained by the police in Ayodhya while on a visit over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple and that the family had not been informed about his whereabouts.
In a video statement late Monday night, Reena Rai said Ajay Rai had gone to Ayodhya to raise the issue of the alleged misappropriation of temple donations and was also scheduled to offer prayers at the Ram temple along with other Congress leaders.
“Today, when he was staying at a hotel in Ayodhya, he was taken into custody. We have not been informed where he has been taken. The family is worried, and we fear for his safety," she alleged, expressing concern about Rai’s life.
There was no official response over the issue by Ayodhya Police yet.
The Congress had earlier said Rai was placed under house arrest at a hotel in Ayodhya on Monday evening.
The party had announced that a high-level delegation, led by Rai, would visit Ayodhya on Tuesday to offer prayers at the Ram temple amid the ongoing controversy over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the shrine.
The delegation was to include Congress MPs Kishori Lal Sharma, Rakesh Rathor, Ujjwal Raman Singh and Tanuj Punia, besides several senior party leaders.
Earlier on Monday, Uttar Pradesh minister Dayashankar Singh criticised the proposed visit, alleging that opposition leaders neither believed in Lord Ram nor had contributed to the construction of the Ram temple, while questioning their intent behind raising the issue.
