Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday launched a sharp counterattack against the Samajwadi Party and the Congress over allegations related to the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation fund, asserting that the Opposition was deliberately misleading the public while insulting saints, devotees, and one of India’s most significant religious institutions. Addressing the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the Chief Minister defended the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and detailed the sequence of events surrounding the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, maintaining that the investigation had already established the facts and found no involvement of any saint or religious leader.
During his address, Yogi Adityanath accused the Opposition of adopting what he described as an “undemocratic” and “unconstitutional” approach. He argued that repeated allegations against the Ram Temple Trust amounted to disrespect not only towards constitutional institutions but also towards the ideals of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. According to the Chief Minister, the controversy had been politicised despite the legal and procedural actions already undertaken by the state government and the temple trust.
Responding directly to allegations of “donation theft” at the Ram Temple, Yogi clarified that the matter was not related to theft in the conventional sense but concerned alleged irregularities involving temple offerings, commonly referred to as “chadhava.” He stressed that the distinction was important because the issue had been investigated through due legal process rather than being ignored or suppressed.
Explaining why the Uttar Pradesh government initially did not intervene, the Chief Minister pointed out that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is an autonomous charitable trust constituted under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Therefore, he said, the state government could not independently initiate action unless the trust itself requested an investigation or the court issued specific directions.
According to Yogi Adityanath, the process began formally on June 12 when the trust wrote to the Uttar Pradesh government after reports concerning financial irregularities surfaced in sections of the media. In its communication, the trust reportedly requested an independent SIT investigation to ascertain the facts. Acting promptly on that request, the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team the very next day, on June 13.
The Chief Minister further informed the Assembly that the SIT submitted its first interim report on June 23. Following the findings, the Uttar Pradesh government forwarded its recommendations to the trust, while criminal proceedings also moved forward through the registration of an FIR in Ayodhya.
Sharing details of the investigation, Yogi Adityanath said eight individuals had been arrested based on available evidence. Of those, six were allegedly found to have diverted or mishandled money linked to temple offerings, while two others were subsequently connected to the case during the course of the investigation. He maintained that the investigation progressed through established legal channels and continued under judicial oversight.
“The entire matter moved forward under the supervision of the Supreme Court,” the Chief Minister said, emphasizing that every step had followed legal procedure rather than political pressure. He argued that this demonstrated transparency and accountability in dealing with allegations involving one of the country’s most important religious institutions.
One of the central points of Yogi Adityanath’s defence was the finding that no saint or religious leader had been implicated in the investigation. Referring to the SIT report, he told the House that the probe did not establish the involvement of any sadhu or religious authority associated with the Ram Temple.
He also placed the controversy in perspective by highlighting the scale of operations at the temple complex. According to the Chief Minister, more than 1,100 employees work within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi premises. Out of this large workforce, he said, only eight individuals were found to have allegedly played a role in the financial irregularities currently under investigation.
For that reason, Yogi argued that it would be unfair and irresponsible to tarnish the reputation of the entire institution, its saints, or the millions of devotees who visit Ayodhya. He accused Opposition leaders of attempting to portray isolated allegations involving a handful of individuals as evidence of widespread corruption within the temple administration.
“It is astonishing that saints, Ayodhya Dham, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple and millions of devotees are being placed in the dock because of the alleged actions of a few individuals,” the Chief Minister said. He maintained that such political accusations not only damaged public faith but also disrespected one of India’s most revered pilgrimage centres.
The Chief Minister then broadened his criticism beyond the immediate investigation, targeting the Samajwadi Party and the Congress for what he described as a long history of opposing the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. According to Yogi Adityanath, the same political parties now questioning the temple trust had consistently disrespected Lord Ram and the Ram Janmabhoomi cause over the decades.
He also referred to the turbulent period of the Ayodhya movement, accusing previous governments of attempting to suppress Ram devotees. Without naming specific incidents in detail, Yogi alleged that those now criticising the temple had once allowed Ayodhya’s streets and the waters of the Saryu River to be stained with the blood of Ram devotees during police action. Calling it an “unpardonable sin,” he said those responsible had no moral authority to question the present administration’s handling of the temple affairs.
The remarks come amid an intense political battle over the Ayodhya donation controversy, with the Opposition demanding accountability while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party insists that the legal process has already demonstrated transparency. The issue has become another flashpoint between the BJP and its rivals, especially because Ayodhya remains one of the most symbolically significant political and religious issues in contemporary Indian politics.
By presenting the chronology of the SIT investigation inside the Assembly, the Uttar Pradesh government sought to reinforce its position that the matter had been handled according to legal procedure rather than political convenience. At the same time, the Opposition continues to question aspects of the controversy, ensuring that the issue is likely to remain at the centre of political debate in the coming days as both sides attempt to shape the public narrative around the Ram Temple and accountability in its administration.