New Delhi: A fresh political controversy has erupted over the finances of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that crores of rupees donated by devotees had gone missing and called for an independent investigation. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has strongly denied the allegations, maintaining that ongoing audits have not revealed any financial irregularities.
The dispute began after Yadav claimed on social media that reports suggested a substantial amount of donation money collected at the temple could not be accounted for. Calling the matter highly sensitive for devotees across the world, he questioned the government’s silence and urged the judiciary to take suo motu cognisance of the issue.
Responding to the allegations, Trust General Secretary Champat Rai said the temple trust undergoes regular internal audits involving both trust representatives and officials from the State Bank of India. He stated that the latest audit process is currently underway and has not uncovered any discrepancies so far.
The controversy gained further momentum after former Samajwadi Party MLA Pawan Pandey alleged that between ₹5 crore and ₹7.5 crore had been stolen from temple donation collections. He demanded a transparent probe and challenged the trust administration to publicly clarify the allegations.
Amid the escalating political exchange, trust member Mahant Dinendra Das expressed confidence in the temple’s management and said anyone found guilty of wrongdoing would face consequences. “Lord Ram himself will punish those responsible if any wrongdoing has occurred,” he remarked, while reiterating the trust’s willingness to cooperate with any official inquiry.
According to the trust, donations are counted by bank employees in the presence of trust representatives under CCTV surveillance before being deposited into secure accounts. The trust also highlighted that it has received more than ₹4,575 crore in donations since its formation in 2020 and has spent around ₹2,475 crore on temple construction, land acquisition and related development works.
With the trust rejecting the allegations and opposition leaders demanding greater scrutiny, the issue is expected to remain a major political flashpoint in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
