Yogi Adityanath Defends SIT Action, Opposition Calls Out Arrest of 'Small Employees'

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday defended the state's response to the alleged embezzlement of donations linked to the Ayodhya Ram Temple, saying immediate action was taken after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted its findings.

Addressing the issue publicly, Adityanath said the government had adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards anyone attempting to misuse Sanatan values or exploit public faith.

"We had said, 'Do not worry about Ayodhya.' As soon as the SIT report was released, action was initiated immediately. Playing with matters of faith is unacceptable," he said.

The chief minister added that he had already warned against any misuse of public trust during his visit to Ayodhya on June 19 and said the SIT findings paved the way for swift administrative action.

'Faith Cannot Be Exploited'

Emphasising the religious significance of Ayodhya, Adityanath said there would be no compromise in protecting institutions associated with public devotion.

He said the government remained committed to preserving the dignity of Ayodhya and would not tolerate any attempt to manipulate religious sentiments or misuse public faith.

The chief minister also launched a political attack on opposition parties, accusing them of attempting to politicise the issue despite their past opposition to the Ram Mandir movement.

"One side used to say that Lord Ram doesn't even exist... They kept fighting the case in court and opposed the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple," he said.

He further alleged that those who had earlier opposed the Ram Mandir movement were now questioning the government's handling of the investigation.

Without naming any party directly, Adityanath accused the Congress of promoting corruption and dishonesty while attempting to divert attention from the probe.

He also alleged that previous governments had imposed restrictions on religious events such as Ram Navami, Shri Krishna Janmashtami, the Kanwar Yatra and Durga Puja, adding that such criticism of the government's action in Ayodhya was unacceptable.

Opposition Reacts

Arvind Kejriwal, who had been visiting the Ram Mandir, said that the FIR was an 'eyewash'. He also called out the arrests of "eight lower-level employees" while questioning how a scam of this magnitude could unfold without top-level involvement.

"The FIR that has been registered (Ram Temple Donation scam row) is merely an eyewash. Eight lower-level employees have been arrested, but a scam of this magnitude could not have been carried out by junior employees alone over such a long period. Clearly, the links go much higher up. An attempt is being made to shield the influential people while placing the blame on lower-level staff," Kejriwal told PTI.

The Congress joined in the chorus of opposition leaders questioning the action.

"There has been a horrific loot of donations and offerings in the Ram Temple. Due to faith in Lord Shri Ram, donations were collected from the villages of the country, from poor people, which were looted. But when the FIR was filed, the names of small employees were included in it," Congress MP Rajiv Shukla said in a press conference.