Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 30 (ANI): Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday expressed serious concern over reports of alleged theft and embezzlement of offerings at the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, stating that such acts are “extremely serious” and those responsible should not be spared.
In a post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also cautioned against politicising the issue and called for the adoption of a transparent accounting system for temple offerings, similar to those followed at other prominent temples across the country.
“The theft of offerings from the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, along with embezzlement and tampering, and the various kinds of reports that keep surfacing day after day in the media about such acts, are extremely serious and concerning. People like this should absolutely not be spared, but politicising this matter is also not right,” Mayawati posted on X.
Suggesting a structural fix to ensure the sanctity of the temple’s donations, the BSP supremo said that a robust accounting system is the need of the hour.
“At the same time, to ensure that no further complaints arise regarding offerings made in devotion at the temple here, it would be appropriate to promptly resolve this issue by emulating the systems in place at other renowned and famous temples across the country for maintaining accounts of offerings and the like,” she added.
The BSP chief also made a broader appeal regarding the current political and social landscape of the country, advocating for a clear separation between religion and politics.
“Not only that, it would be right and constitutional for political parties like the BSP to advise, in the interest of the nation and the people, that the criminalisation of politics, the politicisation of crime, the politicisation of religion, and the blind religiosity of politics should not be allowed in the country–and this is also an appeal to fellow citizens,” she stated.
The case has triggered a massive political slugfest in Uttar Pradesh, with the ruling BJP and Opposition parties trading allegations over the handling of the temple’s finances, even as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe continues.
On Monday, a local court in Ayodhya remanded all the accused in the alleged donation scam to 14 days of judicial custody. The court’s decision follows a high-intensity investigation by the Uttar Pradesh Police into reports of financial irregularities and the misappropriation of funds and offerings at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple. (ANI)
Related reading
