Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said that instead of a "cover-up" in the name of an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, a transparent inquiry must be conducted into the "theft" and all those involved must face severe punishment.

The Congress general secretary also asked whether low-level employees acting alone could switch off CCTV cameras and embezzle offerings worth thousands of crores.

"The entire nation has been left stunned by the deceitful act of theft and plunder committed against Lord Ram -- the embodiment of righteousness (Maryada Purushottam) and the upholder of truth and 'Dharma' -- and the faith of his millions of devotees," Priyanka Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

Responding to allegations of embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Member Vishwaprasanna Tirtha Swamiji on Friday said such a "grave offence" should not have occurred, and if the allegations are found to be true, those responsible must face appropriate punishment.

The Swamiji, pontiff of the Sri Pejavara Adhokshaja Math, one of the Ashta (eight) Maths of Udupi said the facts surrounding the allegations should emerge.

"Being a member of the trust I cannot comment on anything now based on what others have said. On July 11 there is a trust's meeting, I'm going. After knowing what the matter is, I will place things before you," Swamiji told reporters in response to a question on the developments.

(PTI)

Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj, who created the Ram Lalla idol for Ayodhya’s grand temple, is shaken and shocked by reports of theft of donations by the same temple staff, who collected and managed crores of cash and jewellery offerings from devotees in India and abroad.

The noted sculptor, however, stood behind the Temple Trust officials, particularly its general secretary Champat Rai, calling him a “symbol of simplicity and uprightness.”

Arun Yogiraj, speaking to IANS, said it was very painful for him to see the unfolding events related to the embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple.

“As a devotee of Lord Ram, I feel this is deeply painful because devotees across the globe donate their hard-earned money to the temple with faith, love, and devotion, believing they are making offerings for Ram Lalla,” he said.

(IANS)

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday took a swipe at Yogi Adityanath and said those accused of their involvement in the alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations were also conspiring to unseat the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

"I want to tell Yogi ji that Maharaj ji, these 'donation thieves' are plotting to remove you as well. They are also after your chair.

"Why are you standing with people who have committed such a grave sin? My fight is that these 'donation thieves', these demons, should be publicly hanged. Please support me in this fight," Kejriwal told reporters in Ayodhya, requesting the UP chief minister not to support these "great sinners".

(PTI)

A counting staff covered the CCTV camera. Another stole from the cash offerings. This is how crores in cash was allegedly siphoned from donation boxes at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Fresh details have emerged on how the counting staff dug into the temple's hundis without being noticed and made away with a fortune that belonged to the deity.

Several new revelations have also been made in an interim report by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was formed to probe the case.

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Allegations of financial irregularities in the handling of donations at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir have snowballed into a significant political and administrative controversy in Uttar Pradesh, culminating in the resignation of the temple trust's general secretary, the registration of a first information report and the arrest of eight people.

What started as questions raised in public by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has since led to a state-backed Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry, searches at residences, the recovery of unaccounted cash and the questioning of temple staff and bank officials. The controversy has drawn sharp reactions from across the political spectrum and prompted calls for a thorough overhaul of the temple's management systems.

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Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party MLA Ravidas Mehrotra says, "For the past several months, there have been reports of theft in the offerings and donations received at the Ram Temple. When the construction of the Ram Temple began, BJP collected donations from across the… pic.twitter.com/l0LFzscbUf

— IANS (@ians_india) June 26, 2026

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: On the alleged Ayodhya Ram Mandir donations embezzlement case, BJP MP Rahul Sinha says, "Action will certainly be taken because our government will not tolerate theft from Ram Lalla's temple under any circumstances... whoever is behind this will be… pic.twitter.com/wRWtT51aJ6

— ANI (@ANI) June 26, 2026

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday alleged that his party did not receive a receipt for a Rs 1 crore donation it made to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra.

Talking to reporters here, Raut also claimed that the party did not received a receipt for a silver brick it donated to the trust.

"We haven't received the receipt for Rs 1 crore. When the trust was formed, we gave a cheque of Rs 1 crore. We gave the first silver brick weighing more than 25 kg," he said.

Raut's allegations came in the wake of the Uttar Pradesh government setting up a Special Investigation Team to probe allegations of embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The First Information Report in the case named Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav who was said to be a former driver of the Trust's general secretary Champat Rai.

(PTI)

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Friday described as a "sham" the FIR registered in connection with the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple here, claiming only junior employees were targeted while "bigger people" were being protected.

After offering prayers at the Hanumangarhi temple here, Kejriwal, accompanied by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) RS MP and Uttar Pradesh in-charge Sanjay Singh, told reporters that he had prayed for the well-being and prosperity of everyone.

"I prayed that whoever is guilty of this 'maha paap' (grave sin) should receive the strictest possible punishment from God," he said referring to the alleged theft of donations at the temple.

(PTI)

Eight persons named in an FIR over the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya have been arrested, senior officials said on Friday.

The FIR, lodged at the instance of Krishna Mohan, a member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, follows recommendations made in the preliminary report of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the allegations.

Senior officials said all eight persons named in the FIR have been arrested and are being questioned as part of the investigation.

Those named in the FIR -- Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu -- were associated with the process of counting cash and valuables received as donations at the temple, an official said.

A top office-bearer at the Ram temple trust and a trustee have resigned on moral grounds following allegations of siphoning of donations at the popular Ayodhya shrine.

Champat Rai was the general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, an independent body that manages the shrine. He and trustee Anil Mishra have submitted their resignations, an official confirmed.