Lucknow: The political controversy surrounding alleged irregularities in donations made to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya intensified on Wednesday, with Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak a launching a sharp attack on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over his remarks related to the Babri Masjid and the ongoing donation row. “The SP chief never questioned the Babri Masjid donations. He only talks about the Ram Mandir donations. This shows he is only concerned about his votebank,” said Brajesh Pathak, the deputy CM, according to a NDTV report.
The latest exchange comes amid a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate allegations of misappropriation of funds collected through donations at the Ram Temple. The SIT has already begun its inquiry and visited the temple complex as part of the investigation.
Akhilesh Yadav has repeatedly questioned the handling of donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, alleging a lack of transparency and demanding accountability. He earlier claimed that crores of rupees in devotees’ offerings were unaccounted for and sought judicial intervention in the matter.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Yadav on Wednesday claimed that CCTV footage related to the alleged irregularities was missing and that transparency was absent in handling donations.
Responding to the allegations, the Ram Temple Trust rejected the claims and maintained that regular internal audits had not revealed any significant discrepancies. Trust general secretary Champat Rai said audits were underway and no irregularities had been found so far.
The controversy deepened after Yadav criticised the SIT probe, calling it an “insult to Sanatan Dharma” and questioning the government’s approach to the investigation. He also accused the BJP-led government of corruption and demanded greater transparency in the management of temple funds.
Countering Yadav’s remarks, the deputy CM accused the Samajwadi Party leader of attempting to politicise a matter linked to the faith of millions of devotees.
The deputy chief minister also took exception to Yadav’s references to the Babri Masjid issue, saying such comments hurt public sentiments and were aimed at creating unnecessary controversy. According to Maurya, strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty of wrongdoing in the donation matter.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have continued to demand an independent and transparent investigation.
