Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday hit out at the opposition over its criticism of alleged misappropriation of donations meant for the Ram temple, saying the action was initiated immediately after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted its report.
Addressing the controversy, Adityanath said those responsible have been arrested and warned against using the case to target Ayodhya or Lord Ram’s followers.
“Don’t cast an evil eye on Ayodhya. Don’t test Ram’s followers. If there is evidence, present it before the SIT,” he said, targeting opposition parties questioning the handling of the case, PTI reported.
Speaking at a public meeting in Deoria, Adityanath sought to reassure devotees that the government would not allow anyone to misuse public faith. He also criticized critics of the government’s response to the controversy.
He said, “The investigation report came and action began immediately. I assure you, as I said, that we will separate truth from falsehood.”
“No pardon” for those found guilty
Adityanath said the government is taking the matter seriously as it concerns the faith of millions of devotees. He warned that anyone found responsible for committing violations would not be protected.
“Manipulating public sentiments is unacceptable. Anyone who tampers with the doctrine of Sanatan Dharma will face consequences. No one can be given any exemption,” he said.
His comments come amid a political row over allegations of irregularities in donations received to the Ram Temple, with opposition parties questioning the handling of temple funds and demanding accountability.
Eight people were arrested in a donation embezzlement case
Meanwhile, eight people named in an FIR linked to the alleged misappropriation of Ram temple donations have been arrested, senior officials said on Friday.
As HT reported earlier, the arrests came a day after the Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR over alleged irregularities in donations received to the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The complaint was filed by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Foundation, which runs the temple. The FIR has identified eight people, including Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinu, an assistant secretary general of the trust, Champat Rai.
According to investigators, Yadav’s role in the collection and movement of donations is under scrutiny. The other accused arrested in the case are Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Karunesh Pandey, Manish Yadav, Lavkush Mishra, Ramashankar Mishra and Subhash Srivastava, a retired bank employee who was responsible for counting donations.
The case was registered after the three-member Special Investigation Committee submitted its preliminary report which recommended criminal action. The allegations were first raised by Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan Pandey.
The persons named in the FIR have been booked under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act in connection with criminal breach of trust, cheating, theft and criminal conspiracy.
The Uttar Pradesh government formed the special investigation team on June 13 at the request of the Temple Trust. The committee conducted a preliminary investigation in Ayodhya between June 15 and 20 before submitting its report to the government.
