The Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister defended the SIT investigation into the alleged Ram Temple
June 26, 2026: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Friday defended the state government’s handling of the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple and criticised opposition parties over the controversy. He questioned why no one was asking about donations collected for the Babri Masjid, accusing the Samajwadi Party and the Congress of targeting Sanatan Dharma for political gains. Pathak also alleged illegal activities, including terror funding, in some madrasas located in border districts and called for greater scrutiny of their functioning.
The controversy began after a Samajwadi Party MLA alleged that nearly ₹7.5 crore in temple donations had been misappropriated. Following public criticism and legal petitions, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. Based on the SIT’s preliminary findings, an FIR was registered by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and eight people, including trust staff and a retired bank employee responsible for counting donations, were arrested. Trust General Secretary Champat Rai was also questioned during the investigation.
Responding to opposition allegations that only lower-level employees were being targeted while senior officials were being protected, Pathak rejected the charge and said the investigation would remain impartial. He asserted that the BJP government follows a policy of zero tolerance towards corruption and assured that police would take action strictly on the basis of evidence as the probe continues.