Uttar Pradesh BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary has described the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya as a ‘very unfortunate’ incident and said strict action would be taken against all those found involved. Mr. Chaudhary stated that both the State and Central Governments are ensuring that the matter is investigated thoroughly.
The BJP leader was talking to reporters during his one-day visit to Mirzapur. He expressed deep sadness over the incident and assured that whoever is found involved will face strict action. Mr. Chaudhary also took a swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav over their criticism, saying that those who never cared for Lord Ram and those under whose rule Ram devotees were fired upon are now talking about Lord Ram.
Responding to questions over the Opposition raising doubts about the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, Mr. Chaudhary said the Opposition has a habit of questioning constitutional institutions. He stated that the SIT investigation is underway and nobody involved will be spared. The BJP leader also expressed confidence that the BJP would return to power in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, despite the incident.
A preliminary SIT report has identified Avinash Shukla as the prime accused in the alleged theft of devotees’ offerings at the Ram Temple. The report has described Shukla as the focal point of the investigation, with evidence against him corroborated by CCTV camera footage, recovery records, bank account analysis, and witness statements.
The SIT has also flagged alleged security and procedural lapses in the temple’s donation management system, including inadequate frisking of personnel, poor CCTV monitoring, and weak supervisory mechanisms, which investigators believe enabled the alleged repeated removal of cash without immediate detection.
Eight people have so far been arrested in connection with the case, with recoveries exceeding Rs 79 lakh made from the accused. The Uttar Pradesh government constituted the three-member SIT to investigate the case, which has since expanded beyond the original FIR.
