Ajay Rai, the head of the Congress party in India's Uttar Pradesh state, alleged he was detained by police at his hotel in Ayodhya on Monday as he attempted to visit the Ram temple amid an ongoing embezzlement controversy.

"The BJP government's dictatorship has reached its peak!" Rai wrote on X, blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party for the "arrest."

"I had just arrived in Ayodhya when the BJP government got so scared that the police arrested me from the hotel and are taking me away in their jeep," he said.

The government did not immediately comment. Rai's wife released a video statement late Monday expressing fear for his safety.

A larger Congress delegation was scheduled to visit the Ram Mandir on Tuesday, but it remains unclear if the visit will proceed. The temple, inaugurated by Modi in January 2024, is a symbol of Hindu nationalist success but was built on the site of the demolished Babri mosque.

The temple trust was established under the Home Ministry, with trustees linked to Modi. Opposition leaders are trying to draw connections between the Modi government and alleged theft of donations.

Uttar Pradesh officials are investigating the graft allegations. On Monday, a local court sent all accused in the donation scam to two weeks of judicial custody.

Source: www.dw.com