'Pocketless Clothes, High Security Protocols': 23 Ram Temple Staff Members Resign Amid Donation Theft Row

23 employees engaged in counting donations at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya have resigned after the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust introduced stricter security and administrative measures in the wake of the alleged donation theft controversy.

The employees submitted their resignations to the contracting agency that employed them after the trust overhauled the donation-counting system.

The trust is now expected to recruit new staff for the work under revised verification and security norms aimed at strengthening transparency in the donation management system.

Under the new rules, a dedicated team of employees will be appointed exclusively to count cash collected from the temple's donation boxes. Earlier, housekeeping staff had also been assigned the task of counting donations. They will now return to their original housekeeping duties.

The revised norms also require employees engaged in counting donations to wear clothes without pockets to prevent any possibility of theft or tampering. They will also be required to follow enhanced security protocols throughout the counting process.

Trust Restructuring Continues 

The development comes amid continuing scrutiny of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust following the alleged donation theft case.

The trust is also in the process of appointing its first Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The move follows the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged donation theft, the resignations of general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, and a review of the trust's internal functioning.

By creating a full-time executive post, the trust is seeking to strengthen its day-to-day administration, while policy decisions will continue to remain with the trustees.

The CEO's appointment is part of a wider restructuring of the trust. Along with leadership changes, a three-member committee has been tasked with identifying suitable candidates. Trust members say the objective is to build a stronger administrative framework as the temple continues to handle large numbers of pilgrims, employees, volunteers and donations while the investigation into the donation row continues. 

How did the donation row change everything?

The alleged donation theft prompted the trust to review its administrative structure. The controversy led to an SIT investigation, changes in the trust's leadership and a review of existing procedures for handling donations and overseeing temple operations. The review also led the trust to create the CEO's post, with the trust concluding that a dedicated executive would help strengthen institutional processes and clarify administrative responsibility.

Yogi Targets Opposition Over Ayodhya

Addressing a public meeting in Bikapur on Friday, after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of 217 development projects worth over Rs 432 crore, Adityanath said those who now claim to speak for faith had committed a "sin" by allowing namaz to be offered on the steps of Hanumangarhi.

"They had namaz offered at Hanumangarhi. Can anyone imagine Hanuman Chalisa being recited inside Jama Masjid? Can any government or the Samajwadi Party or the Congress ever make that happen? If not, then why was this sin committed at Hanumangarhi? Who was responsible for it?" Adityanath said.

Yogi also accused the Samajwadi Party and the Congress of opposing Ayodhya's development and creating hurdles in the construction of the Ram temple. He alleged they had questioned Lord Ram's existence, while claiming that the "double-engine government" had transformed Ayodhya into a major pilgrimage centre.

This was Adityanath's second visit to Ayodhya, ever since the controversy over alleged donation theft at the Ram temple surfaced.