FIR in Ram Mandir theft due to 'Kejriwal effect': Saurabh Bhardwaj

AAP's Saurabh Bhardwaj alleged the FIR in the Ram temple donation theft was filed only after Arvind Kejriwal's Ayodhya visit, terming it the 'Kejriwal effect'. He accused the ED of reluctance and the government of running a 'sham SIT'.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi president Saurabh Bhardwaj on Friday alleged that an FIR in the alleged Ram temple donation theft case was registered only after the arrival of AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in Ayodhya.

Bhardwaj Alleges 'Kejriwal Effect', Slams 'Sham SIT'

In a post on X, Bhardwaj termed it a "Kejriwal effect" and alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was reluctant to register an FIR and initiate an investigation despite being aware of the alleged theft of donations from the Ram temple, including cash, gold and silver. "Kejriwal Effect: The day Arvind Kejriwal reached Ayodhya, the BJP government registered an FIR in the Ram Mandir chadhava chori case. Despite widespread knowledge of loot at the Ram Mandir, which included cash, gold and silver worth crores of rupees, the ED party was reluctant to formally register an FIR and carry out a proper investigation," he said.

He further alleged that the government was running a "sham SIT" without any legal basis, calling it a form of media posturing. "The government was conducting a sham SIT with no legal basis. It was nothing but media posturing," Bhardwaj added.

Case Background: FIR and SIT Probe

On Thursday, a First Information Report was registered in the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The case has been filed under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh Government.

Those who have been named in the FIR are: Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others.

This comes after allegations were made by former SP MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations were misappropriated from the Ram Mandir.

Following the allegations, on June 14, the state government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged scam involving offerings made at the Ram Mandir, following a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Trust.

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