Akhilesh Yadav alleges bungling in Ram Mandir donations

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday alleged that crores of rupees received as offerings at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya had gone missing and demanded an explanation from the temple trust, while questioning the Centre's silence on the issue.

In a post on X, Yadav described the matter as highly sensitive for devotees of Lord Ram across the world and said any doubts regarding donations made at the temple warranted a transparent response from those responsible for its management.

"This is an extremely sensitive piece of news for devotees of Lord Ram across the entire world. Crores of rupees in offerings to the Ram Mandir have been found missing," Yadav alleged.

The former Uttar Pradesh CM termed the situation "shameful" and claimed that no one associated with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had come forward to clarify the matter.

Calling for accountability, Yadav said there were demands for the judiciary to take suo motu cognisance of the issue because it was linked to the faith of millions of devotees.

"There is a demand for the court to take suo motu cognisance, as this is directly linked to the deep faith in Lord Ram held by the entire Sanatan society at a global level," he said.

The Samajwadi Party chief also targeted the government, alleging that its silence was raising questions. "The government's silence is suspicious," Yadav said.

Responding to the controversy, Mahant Dinendra Das, a trustee of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, said any wrongdoing, if committed, would not go unpunished.

"Whatever decision is taken by the authorities and the government is acceptable to us. If any mistake has been committed, it will come to light. If there is any wrongdoing, those responsible will face the consequences," he said.