RSS Chief Responds Briefly to Allegations of Misappropriation in Ram Temple Donations

In light of the ongoing controversy surrounding alleged misappropriation of donations for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat provided a succinct yet pointed response when questioned about claims that some individuals are attempting to undermine faith in Lord Ram. During an interaction with journalists in Nagpur on Saturday, Bhagwat simply stated "Ram-Ram" before moving on.

This brief comment from Bhagwat followed a statement made by RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, who expressed that the alleged misappropriation of funds has inflicted a "deep injury" on the faith of Ram devotees and the general public. He called for strict punishment for those responsible. In a statement on Friday, Hosabale conveyed that the RSS is "extremely saddened and angry" about the incident and urged the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to ensure that justice is served. He also accused "anti-Hindu and anti-national forces" of attempting to exploit this incident to tarnish Hinduism, while urging devotees to exercise patience and restraint. Hosabale emphasized that the incident has profoundly hurt the sentiments of devotees and suggested that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust should take effective measures to rectify any shortcomings in the temple's management and operations. He insisted that the uncertainty surrounding the case should be resolved through thorough investigation and stringent action against those responsible.

So far, eight individuals have been arrested in connection with this case, including six outsourced employees responsible for counting donations and Ram Shankar Yadav, a close associate of the Trust's General Secretary, Champat Rai. One of the outsourced employees, Avinash Shukla, is among those apprehended. The Uttar Pradesh police have intensified their parallel criminal investigation into the matter. They have taken Avinash Shukla into 24-hour police custody to facilitate recovery, reconstruct the sequence of events, and verify new information. Meanwhile, the state government's SIT continues to investigate the financial and administrative operations of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. A police team arrived at Ayodhya District Jail around 9 AM to take Shukla into custody and subsequently transported him to the Reserve Police Lines, where he was interrogated for nearly two hours. According to an earlier report, investigators later took him to various locations in Ayodhya and subsequently to his home district of Pratapgarh to corroborate his statements.