What began as an allegation by a Samajwadi Party MLA has, within weeks, snowballed into one of the biggest controversies surrounding the Ayodhya Ram Mandir since its inauguration.
Claims that crores of rupees in devotees’ donations had gone missing were initially dismissed by both the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and the Uttar Pradesh government as a “false narrative”. But the issue has since escalated into a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, an FIR, the arrest of eight people โ including a close aide of the trust’s former general-secretary Champat Rai โ and ultimately the resignation of Rai and trustee Anil Mishra on Friday, 26 June.
The controversy has also fuelled a political slugfest, with Opposition leaders alleging that cash and valuables donated by devotees have gone missing. According to people familiar with the matter, the trust has received enquiries from devotees seeking information about gold and silver offerings worth crores of rupees, including idols, that they had donated to the temple.
Here’s how the controversy unfolded.
The allegation
The row began earlier this month when Samajwadi Party MLA Pawan Pandey alleged that between Rs 7 crore and 7.5 crore in devotees’ donations had been stolen or embezzled.
The allegations were swiftly rejected by the trust and the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak accused the Samajwadi Party of attempting to create a “false narrative” around the Ram temple.
“Those trying to spread rumours about Shri Ram Temple are attempting to create a false narrative. The people of the state understand such politics,” he said, accusing Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav of spreading misinformation.
The controversy gathers pace
But what began as a local political allegation soon gained statewide attention after Akhilesh himself amplified the issue on social media, demanding accountability over devotees’ donations and questioning the trust’s functioning.
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