'Lord Ram Will Punish Them': Ayodhya Temple Trust Hits Back As Akhilesh Questions Finances

Published 8 June 2026 · india

'Lord Ram Will Punish Them': Ayodhya Temple Trust Hits Back As Akhilesh Questions Finances Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: June 08, 2026, 11:16 IST

'Lord Ram Will Punish Them': Ayodhya Temple Trust Hits Back As Akhilesh Questions Finances Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: June 08, 2026, 11:16 IST The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust swiftly rejected the allegations, saying an ongoing audit had not revealed any irregularity so far. Rapid Read Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh | ANI Image A political storm erupted over the finances of the Ayodhya Ram Temple on Sunday after Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleged that crores of rupees from donations offered at the temple had gone missing and demanded that courts take suo motu cognisance of the matter. However, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust swiftly rejected the allegations, saying an ongoing audit had not revealed any irregularity so far. Responding to the charges, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai said the trust undergoes periodic internal audits involving representatives of the trust and the State Bank of India and that the exercise is currently underway. “The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra undergoes internal audits from time to time. Representatives of the trust and the State Bank of India are involved in this exercise. The audit process lasts for several days.

The same work is being carried out these days. Nothing noteworthy has come to light yet," Rai said in a statement. The clarification came after Yadav claimed in a post on X that reports had emerged suggesting that crores of rupees from donations made by devotees at the Ram Temple were missing. Describing the issue as “extremely sensitive" for Lord Ram’s devotees across the world, he said the alleged disappearance of donation money had put the temple trust in an embarrassing position. “The government’s silence is suspicious," Yadav wrote, while urging the judiciary to intervene and independently examine the matter, given the faith of millions of devotees associated with the temple. The controversy was further fuelled by former Samajwadi Party MLA and e minister Pawan Pandey, who alleged that between Rs 5 crore and Rs 7.5 crore had been stolen from donations collected through temple donation boxes. He demanded a fair investigation and action against those responsible, if the allegations were found to be true. Pandey also challenged the trust leadership to publicly deny the charges and sought clarification from the temple administration regarding the alleged discrepancies. Amid the growing political row, trust member Mahant Dinendra Das said he had complete faith in Lord Ram and that anyone found guilty of wrongdoing would eventually face consequences.