Controversy Erupts Over Donations to Ayodhya's Ram Temple
Political Turmoil Surrounding Ram Temple Donations
A new controversy has emerged in Uttar Pradesh politics regarding the donations made to the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Akhilesh Yadav, the national president of the Samajwadi Party and former Chief Minister, claimed on Sunday that millions of rupees from the temple's donations have gone missing. He has directly targeted both the government and the temple trust over this issue, while the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has responded to these allegations.
In a post on social media, Yadav stated, "It is extremely sensitive news for devotees of Lord Ram worldwide that a significant amount of money from the 'Ram Temple' donations has been reported missing." He further emphasized that this situation is highly embarrassing for the temple trust, as no one seems willing to come forward to clarify the matter.
Yadav has urged the court to take suo motu cognizance of the issue, asserting that it directly relates to the deep faith of the global Sanatani community in Lord Ram. He expressed suspicion over the government's silence on the matter.
Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, issued a statement on Sunday, explaining that internal audits of the trust are conducted regularly, involving representatives from the trust and the State Bank of India. He noted that the audit process is ongoing and no significant issues have been identified so far.
In response to Yadav's claims, Mahant Dineendra Das, a trustee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, remarked to reporters, "If anyone has done something wrong in this matter, Lord Ram himself will punish them." He added that any decision made by the authorities and the government would be acceptable to the trust.
Yadav criticized Champat Rai's response, stating that the explanation provided was not clear. In another post on social media, he remarked, "The explanation is not even clear. It seems to be a routine matter for them (Champat Rai), so ordinary that they no longer consider it 'noteworthy.' Their expressions and body language reflect despair and disappointment."
The former Chief Minister expressed dissatisfaction with Champat Rai's statement, suggesting that all members of the trust should convene to provide a clear explanation and that CCTV evidence should be used to match the figures. He believes that once all trustees meet, the truth will emerge, as not everyone is the same.
Yadav also questioned why it took so long to provide a 40-second explanation and why even a minute of clarification seemed burdensome. He likened this silence from the state government to the trust's response, calling it suspicious. He concluded that the entire Sanatani community worldwide has become even more doubtful and hurt by this weak explanation.