What is Ayodhya Ram Temple donation row? WION Decodes

A fresh controversy has erupted over alleged irregularities involving donations received by the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the claims. The BJP-led state government announced the formation of the SIT on Saturday (June 13) following a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The panel has been tasked with investigating allegations linked to temple donations and the financial functioning of the trust.

The issue first gained prominence earlier this month when Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleged that reports suggested several crores of rupees donated to the Ram Temple had gone missing. He called upon the judiciary to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and raised concerns over what he described as serious irregularities involving devotees' contributions.

In a post on social media, Yadav termed the situation surrounding the temple trust "shameful" and demanded accountability. Responding to the allegations, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai said the trust regularly conducts internal audits and that the current auditing exercise was still in progress. According to Rai, no significant discrepancies had been detected so far.

However, a member of the trust told Hindustan Times that an impartial investigation was necessary. "Only an impartial probe by the SIT could bring to justice those involved in the scam. A probe by the Trust will face several questions," the member said. The controversy intensified further after former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh claimed he was aware of the alleged misuse of donations but declined to disclose details publicly.

The state government subsequently constituted the SIT, comprising Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General of Police (Lucknow Range) Kiran S, and Finance Department Special Secretary Neel Ratan. The team has been directed to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit its findings to the government.

In a statement, the trust maintained that the allegations were part of a conspiracy aimed at damaging the image of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra and hurting the sentiments of millions of devotees. It said a thorough investigation was necessary to establish the truth. The government’s move came amid growing scrutiny after ₹10 lakh was reportedly recovered on Friday from the residence of an employee involved in counting cash donations at the temple.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav sharpened his criticism of the Yogi Adityanath government, suggesting that those behind the alleged conspiracy were "not far away". In a post on X on Saturday, the former chief minister said, "The root of this conspiracy is not far away, there will be no need to go far to take action if the truth is to be uncovered." He also remarked that if the police were unable to identify those responsible, his party could assist in doing so.