Ram Mandir, Badrinath theft: Mayawati calls for proper investigation

BSP chief Mayawati demanded a probe into alleged donation embezzlement at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir and Badrinath Dham, suspecting manager complicity. She also accused opposition parties of 'political posturing' on the issue without solid proof.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday called for "special attention" of the state governments towards the alleged donation embezzlement in Ayodhya Ram Temple and Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand, alleging that the irregularities would have occurred due to complicity or negligence of the managers at the temples.

In a post on X, Mayawati also targeted the Opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), stating that if they do not have "solid evidence" for their claims, then they were merely indulging in "political posturing" with no genuine devotion.

Mayawati Demands Probe, Suspects Manager Complicity

She wrote, "After the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya in U.P., now the case of theft and embezzlement in offerings at Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand State is also making significant headlines. The main managers associated with the trusts of both these renowned religious sites should also be properly investigated; otherwise, in the future, other main managers appointed in their place could misuse this as a cover."

"Because there is widespread discussion that whatever irregularities have occurred at the lower levels are either due to the complicity of the main managers or have happened because of their negligence. Therefore, it is now extremely necessary to properly investigate this matter, and the government and SIT must pay special attention to this case," the BSP chief added.

BSP Chief Slams Opposition for 'Political Posturing'

Mayawati said that, sidelining issues of public interest, the opposition parties want to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections using the donation embezzlement case as a "cover."

"At the same time, regarding the claims made by senior leaders of parties like SP, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party about significant theft and embezzlement of offerings here (at Shri Ram Temple), solid evidence should also be obtained from them, so that no thief or embezzler can escape; otherwise, this will be seen merely as political posturing, meaning not genuine devotion, but rather sidelining issues of public interest, these parties now want to contest elections using this issue as a cover--such is the common discussion," the X post read.

SIT Probe Uncovers Security Lapses in Ayodhya

The Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case has ignited a row not just in Uttar Pradesh but across the country. The Opposition has been critical of the UP state government, and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal also claimed to have supporting evidence for the case.

Meanwhile, a preliminary probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) pointed to serious security lapses in the counting room and alleged systematic concealment of cash by some counting staff.

The SIT stated that CCTV footage reviewed between April 27 and June 5 showed around 70 suspicious incidents involving staff allegedly hiding cash bundles. It identified six persons with prima facie evidence of involvement and reported recovery of approximately Rs 78.94 lakh from some employees, besides Rs 2.25 lakh recovered from the counting room on June 4.

The SIT described its findings as preliminary, with further investigation and legal proceedings continuing.

Inquiry Panel Formed for Badrinath Case

Meanwhile, the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has also constituted an inquiry panel to investigate the alleged donation theft, while Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal has demanded a judicial probe. (ANI)

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