LUCKNOW: A political controversy has erupted in Uttar Pradesh over donations received by the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleging that crores of rupees had gone missing and demanding that courts take suo motu cognisance of the matter.
Rejecting the allegations, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Sunday said an ongoing audit had not revealed any financial irregularity so far.
Responding to the charges, 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 was 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 Akhilesh Yadav posted on X that reports had emerged suggesting that crores of rupees from donations at the Ram Temple were missing.
Describing the issue as “extremely sensitive", Yadav said the alleged disappearance of donation money had put the temple trust in a doubtful position.
“The government’s silence is suspicious," Yadav wrote, while urging the judiciary to intervene and independently examine the matter, saying it concerned the faith of millions of devotees.
The controversy was further fuelled by former Samajwadi Party MLA and ex-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.
“I have full faith in Lord Ram. If anybody has committed any wrong act, then Lord Ram himself will punish that person. Our trustees will not do such a thing," he said, adding that any government decision regarding an inquiry would be acceptable to the trust.
The allegations have also drawn reactions from Ayodhya’s religious community. Several seers questioned the timing of the claims and maintained that any suspicion regarding temple funds should be investigated through established mechanisms rather than political accusations.
According to the established procedure, donations received at the Ram Temple are counted by bank employees in the presence of trust representatives under CCTV surveillance. The cash is recorded, deposited in secure lockers within the temple premises and later transferred to the trust’s account with the State Bank of India in Ayodhya. The auditing process is also monitored through professional systems and periodic reviews.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was constituted by the Centre on February 5, 2020, following the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya dispute. The trust oversees the construction, administration and financial management of the Ram Temple.
The controversy comes at a time when the temple continues to receive substantial public donations. During a trust meeting in December 2025, officials disclosed that the trust had received over Rs 4,575 crore since its formation and had spent approximately Rs 2,475 crore on temple construction, land acquisition and expansion of the Ram Janmabhoomi complex.
With the trust denying any evidence of missing funds and opposition leaders pressing for an independent probe, the issue is expected to intensify politically in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
