3 min readUpdated: Jun 26, 2026 01:08 PM IST
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said his government’s intention is clear in the Ram temple donation theft case. “Everything will become clear. But do not test Ram devotees, stop playing with their faith. If there are no facts or evidence, stop the accusations. If there is evidence, present it before the SIT,” he said.
The Ram Mandir theft case involves a major financial scandal regarding the alleged misappropriation of lakhs of rupees in cash and valuable offerings, like gold and silver, donated by devotees at the Ayodhya Ram temple.
Just months after the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was set up, an audit of accounts revealed serious concerns over its functioning, describing the management as “highly unprofessional”. The audit also flagged the lack of a “systematic record” of donations.
Six years later, The Indian Express reported, the auditor’s key recommendations to introduce a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for streamlined administration remained unimplemented. The issue came into the limelight now amid allegations of misappropriation of donations. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitting its preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday.
Yogi Adityanath further targeted the Opposition, saying: “One side used to say that lord Ram doesn’t even exist, meaning these people wanted to deny Ayodhya itself. They kept fighting the case in court continuously, kept fielding armies of lawyers against the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, and the other side is the one that would wield sticks and fire bullets at those chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’. Those who would fire bullets at the mere mention of Lord Ram’s name are now saying that there has been tampering with faith… The records of dishonesty and corruption they established, and those very people are now casting aspersions on Ayodhya? This is unacceptable.”
#WATCH | Deoria, UP: CM Yogi Adityanath says, “One side used to say that lord Ram doesn’t even exist, meaning these people wanted to deny Ayodhya itself. They kept fighting the case in court continuously, kept fielding armies of lawyers against the construction of the Ram… pic.twitter.com/WJIE9LwL7S
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) June 26, 2026
He also took aim at former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in Ayodhya. “A gentleman [Arvind Kejriwal] from Delhi is visiting [Ayodhya] today. I would like to tell him that the people of Delhi gave him opportunities for many years, but he gave nothing to Delhi except corruption… If the same justice that the double-engine BJP government did with Ayodhya is done by the Aam Aadmi Party with Delhi, then Delhi too would shine just like Ayodhya Dham is shining…”
#WATCH | देवरिया, उत्तर प्रदेश | मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ ने कहा, “…दिल्ली से भी एक सज्जन वहां(अयोध्या) आए हैं आज। मैं उनसे भी कहना चाहूंगा कि दिल्ली की जनता ने उन्हें कई वर्षों तक अवसर दिया लेकिन उन्होंने दिल्ली को भ्रष्टाचार के अलावा कुछ नहीं दिया… अगर यही न्याय जो… pic.twitter.com/tVLBJcJq8c
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) June 26, 2026
Kejriwal visited the Ram temple on Friday morning and then went to offer prayers at the Hanumangarhi temple.