‘When will ED freeze temple funds?' Derek O'Brien questions TMC accounts freeze

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien on Friday (July 10, 2026) questioned the Enforcement Directorate freezing three bank accounts of the party, asking when it would freeze “temple funds”, in an apparent reference to the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

“ED freezes TMC's 3 bank accounts with HDFC. When will ED freeze temple funds?” Mr. O’Brien, Trinamool’s national joint secretary, said in a post on X.

The remarks came amid the Opposition's demand for a judicial probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the Ram temple’s donation management system.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday (July 8) said it has frozen three bank accounts of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), with deposits worth ₹440 crore, under the anti-money laundering law following searches in an alleged funds misappropriation case.

The central agency said in a statement that the orders were issued under Section 17 (1A) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The section authorises the ED to freeze an asset, such as a bank deposit, when it is not practicable to seize such a property, and it is essential that the asset is not transferred or otherwise dealt with.