The trust responsible for managing India’s Ram Temple in Ayodhya has announced major changes to its leadership after several people involved in counting devotees’ donations were accused of stealing millions of rupees from temple offerings.
The development has intensified political debate in India, with opposition parties demanding an independent investigation and calling for a complete restructuring of the temple trust.
Leadership Changes Announced
At a meeting held on Monday, the trustees of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra accepted the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra.
The trust also appointed an interim secretary and constituted a committee to identify candidates for the newly created post of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), aimed at strengthening the institution’s administrative structure.
While announcing the changes, the trust did not specify the exact amount allegedly stolen.
Millions of Rupees Recovered
According to authorities, eight suspects were arrested last month in connection with the alleged theft of donation money.
Officials said nearly 8 million Indian rupees (around 84,000 US dollars) had been recovered from seven of the suspects.
The temple has received significant public donations since its inauguration. Official figures show that by March 31, devotees had contributed approximately 5.82 billion rupees (around 61 million US dollars) in offerings.
Reacting to the incident, the trust’s treasurer Govindadev Giri described the alleged theft as a deeply regrettable event.
He said the trustees were saddened by the incident and acknowledged that it had damaged public confidence.
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Temple’s Historical and Political Importance
The Ram Temple occupies one of the most significant and sensitive religious sites in India.
Its construction fulfilled a long-standing pledge of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after decades of political and legal disputes over the site.
The temple stands on land where the Babri Masjid, a 16th-century mosque, once stood before it was demolished by a Hindu mob in 1992. The demolition triggered widespread communal riots across India, resulting in the deaths of around 2,000 people, the majority of them Muslims, according to police records.
In 2019, India’s Supreme Court awarded the disputed land for the construction of the Ram Temple while directing authorities to allocate an alternative plot for the construction of a mosque.
Opposition Demands Independent Probe
The controversy has become a political issue ahead of elections expected early next year in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, where Ayodhya is located.
Opposition parties have called for the dissolution of the temple trust and demanded an independent investigation supervised by the Supreme Court.
A spokesperson for the opposition Congress Party argued that accepting resignations alone was insufficient and said every member of the trust should be subject to an impartial inquiry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not publicly commented on the controversy. At the time of the announcement, he was on an official overseas visit.
BJP Defends the Trust
The ruling BJP has rejected the opposition’s criticism, accusing its political rivals of exploiting the incident for electoral purposes.
Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological organisation associated with the BJP, urged the public to remain calm and avoid allowing the controversy to be used to create religious divisions.
The alleged donation theft has raised questions about financial oversight within one of India’s most prominent religious institutions, while investigations by law enforcement authorities continue.
