Ram Mandir Scam: 2 Trustees Quit, 8 in Custody Amid Political War

Two senior trustees of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust have resigned over an alleged donation embezzlement scandal. A special court has remanded eight accused, including bank staff, to judicial custody amid a fierce political row.

The alleged embezzlement of donations at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir has triggered a massive political confrontation, escalating on Friday with the resignation of two senior trustees and the judicial remand of eight individuals accused in the multi-lakh rupee scandal.

The scandal, which centres on allegations of systematic theft of offerings by temple staff and bank employees, has become the latest battleground between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition, who are now demanding higher-level accountability. In a significant development, General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Champat Rai, and trustee Anil Mishra have stepped down, taking "moral responsibility" for the controversy. This follows an FIR registered on June 25 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) regarding the misappropriation of funds.

Opposition Seizes on Scandal

On Friday, a special court in Ayodhya remanded eight suspects, including public servants and State Bank of India employees, to judicial custody until June 29. Authorities have reportedly recovered Rs 79.85 lakh from the accused. Opposition leaders have seized on the resignations to attack the BJP, framing the incident as a breach of trust of millions of devotees.

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav stated that the "mask of the donation devotees has finally come off," alleging that the "glittering empire of Lanka built on the arrogance of BJP loyalists" was facing divine retribution.

In a post on X, Yadav said that the mask of the "Danbhakto" (donation devotees) has finally come off because the Lord's divine power has worked its miracle. "The BJP's Lanka episode will unfold right in Ayodhya. After all, the mask of the 'donation devotees' has finally come off because the Lord's divine power has worked its miracle. Now, the glittering empire of Lanka built on the arrogance of BJP loyalists will also meet its end, and so will the 'Lord of Lanka.' For the BJP, the Amrit Kaal has turned into a dark age," he said. Taking a swipe at the BJP over the resignations, he added, "This government used to claim that no resignations happened under its rule. The public, hurt by the offering-donation theft, is now taking a dig, saying the BJP folks are claiming, 'We said there'd be no resignation--we didn't resign; we submitted a letter of renunciation.'" Calling the developments "just the beginning", Yadav alleged that those associated with the BJP and its affiliates would now expose one another. "The BJP gang won't escape God's audit," he said.

AAP Alleges 'Petty Politics'

AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the theft involves "powerful people" who are now working to shield themselves.

"Crores of people have immense faith in Lord Ram, and this has deeply hurt their sentiments... The people who committed this theft, and those involved in this massive robbery, are unfortunately the very people who are supposed to take action. Obviously, they are not going to act against themselves. Instead, they are doing everything they can to protect themselves," Kejriwal said during a press conference.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also took a swipe at the temple administration, alleging that even an official photograph of Kejriwal's visit had not been shared. In a post on X, Singh said the temple administration's official photographer had clicked Kejriwal's photograph after his darshan and promised to provide it, but despite repeated requests, it had not been shared. "What petty politics is this, that now the donation-thief party has started stealing even the picture of Ram devotee Arvind Kejriwal?" Singh wrote.

Congress, CPI Demand Top-Level Probe

Congress leader KC Venugopal demanded a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge, while CPI General Secretary D Raja insisted that PM Narendra Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath must own responsibility for the "loot." In a post on X, Venugopal wrote, "The self-proclaimed protectors of Hinduism have been completely exposed with the revelations of the theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya."

"The BJP-RSS looted from the donations of ordinary devotees and made a complete mockery of their sentiments. On the one hand, the BJP wants to control registered trusts through draconian FCRA rules, while completely unregistered entities like the RSS are free to loot and plunder the temples of our country," Venugopal stated. Calling the resignations of two trustee members as "the tip of the iceberg", Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath should take responsibility for the alleged embezzlement. "Modi and Yogi, both of them, should own up responsibility for what happened in Ayodhya, how the embezzlement took place and how the loot took place. It was nothing but the loot of donations given by ordinary people who believe in a certain faith, and this cannot be allowed. Whatever the UP government has done is not enough, and there should be a thorough probe; it is not enough," Raja told ANI.

BJP Pushes Back, Vows Action

The ruling party has vehemently pushed back against the "politicisation" of the incident, emphasising that the law is taking its course without bias. On the other hand, the BJP lashed out at the opposition for its stand on the alleged embezzlement case and defended the government's action, asserting that those responsible would face strict legal consequences.

Calling out the opposition, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that those who had opposed the temple construction were now raising the issue for political gain.

The CM said that the state government would adopt a "zero-tolerance" policy against anyone attempting to hurt public faith, as he addressed a public meeting in Deoria after the first FIR was registered on the basis of the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) preliminary report. "The government's intention is clear..., everything will come before everyone. But I will appeal once again: do not test Ram devotees, stop tampering with their faith. If there are no facts or evidence, then stop the accusations and counter-accusations, and if there is evidence, then present it before the SIT. The government is proceeding with the action as per the SIT's recommendations, and while the team of senior officials is working, stop making political statements about it," Yogi Adityanath added.

Sharing similar views, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said an impartial investigation would be conducted into the allegations. "An impartial investigation will be conducted. FIR has been registered. The government has said that action will be taken as per the law," Pathak told reporters.

Separately, while praising Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for ordering swift action, newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh BJP Vice President Neeraj Singh termed the alleged embezzlement "certainly shameful". "Lord Ram is central to the faith of every Indian, and what transpired at the Ram Mandir was certainly shameful. However, I especially commend the CM for the promptness and sensitivity with which he has addressed this matter. An SIT has been constituted, the accused have been identified, and strict action is being taken to ensure that such an incident does not recur," Singh said.

Union Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh also termed the matter "very serious" and said those found involved would not be spared. "This is a very serious matter. The SIT is doing its work on this...Those found involved, no matter who they are, will not be spared. The Central Government and the State Government are taking this matter very seriously. We will not allow anyone to tamper with the faith of crores of people in Lord Ram," he said.

Calls for Systemic Reform and Legal Scrutiny

Legal experts, including Advocates Hari Shankar and Vishnu Shankar Jain, have called for a focus on systemic reform to ensure the security of the deity's properties. While the VHP has advised against forming redundant committees, suggesting instead that the focus should be on strengthening temple administration, the legal process continues to intensify.

Reacting to the controversy, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) International President Alok Kumar said the focus should be on strengthening the temple administration system rather than constituting another committee. "I don't think there is a need to form another committee. There are allegations against two Trustees, but not against others. So, the important thing is to work on the system and bring in people who have the experience of temple administration...This is to ensure that all the properties of Lord Ram remain secure, devotees do not face any inconvenience and faith is disseminated from this place," he said.

Advocate Hari Shankar Jain urged stakeholders to focus on facts rather than premature demands for resignations, adding, "resignation is warranted only if the facts establish guilt." "There is no doubt, based on reports and investigations, that there has been manipulation, embezzlement and theft regarding the offerings made to Ram Lalla... However, that alone is not enough. We must take measures to prevent this from happening in the future and devise a foolproof system ensuring that not a single penny belonging to the deity is ever stolen or embezzled," he said.

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain also expressed concern over the allegations and called for a thorough investigation. "Our primary aim and objective when we were contesting the entire litigation was to build a Ram temple which can be a model for the entire country, and today when we have come to know through various news reports that such kind of allegations have been made against the management, against the trust, against the trustees, against various officials of the Ram Mandir temple trust it is very disheartening. It needs to be investigated, and those who are guilty must be brought before the court of law," he said.

Investigation Details: 8 Remanded, Rs 79.85 Lakh Recovered

Meanwhile, a special court in Ayodhya on Friday remanded eight accused in the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case to judicial custody till June 29.

According to Prosecution Officer KC Verma, a total of Rs 79.85 lakh was recovered from the accused, except one, and the arrested persons include public servants and several State Bank of India employees. The eight accused arrested in the case are Avinash Shukla, Ankalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Rama Shankar alias Tinnu.

The FIR in the case was registered on June 25 at the Ram Janmabhoomi Police Station on a complaint filed by Krishanmohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The complaint alleges a criminal conspiracy involving temple staff engaged in counting and managing devotees' offerings, accusing them of systematic theft and misappropriation of donation funds.

As the SIT probe moves forward, the case remains a litmus test for the administration's commitment to transparency in the management of one of India's most significant religious sites, while the political blame game shows no sign of abating. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)