Ayodhya Donation Row: BJP Distances from Trust, Pins Hopes on Yogi's Action
In Ayodhya, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is carefully navigating a controversy surrounding alleged irregularities in donations collected for the Ram Temple construction. While party leaders have publicly distanced themselves from the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the temple, they express confidence that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address the issue.
At the BJP’s new office in Saadatganj, workers are distributing a special edition of Sandesh, a quarterly magazine published by the state information department, celebrating the flag-hoisting ceremony at the temple. However, the mood is subdued as the donation controversy dominates discussions.
“This is a matter between the Ram Temple and the Trust,” said a senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity. “No BJP face is associated with either institution.” The leader’s remarks reflect a consistent strategy among party members to separate the party from the temple’s administrative body.
Yet, when pressed, party workers and leaders often refer to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. “Yogi ji has said that action will be taken and the entire system will be streamlined,” said Manoj Verma, former general secretary of the BJP’s Ayodhya district unit. He added that the party’s core voters understand that opposition parties are politicising the issue.
Verma argued that the controversy would have minimal electoral impact. “Everyone wants proper action so that such acts are not repeated. But I do not believe the temple issue will become an election issue. There will be an investigation, and Yogi ji will not spare the culprits.”
A few kilometres away, at the BJP’s old office in Civil Lines, party functionaries—from gram pradhans to former office-bearers—gathered. They said they had been instructed not to speak officially or post on social media about the matter. Still, the issue clearly troubled them.
“This is not our issue. The temple authorities and the Trust should explain what went wrong. Is there any BJP face there?” asked a veteran party worker, who has been associated with the Ram Temple movement since the 1990s. He recalled how activists once carried bricks to villages and collected consecrated shilas (stones) as part of the movement.
While many senior leaders have distanced themselves from the Trust’s current structure, younger functionaries recall going door-to-door to collect donations for the temple’s construction. “In villages, even an addict would not dare snatch money meant for the temple. But in this case, they took Ram ka paisa (Lord Ram’s money),” said a young mandal-level functionary.
The same worker added, “We are not saying anything yet. Let the action take place, and then we will respond appropriately. First, we got the blot of losing Ayodhya, and now this. But mistakes will not be repeated in 2027.”
Party workers are avoiding defending anyone in public discussions, fearing it could backfire. Instead, they limit themselves to saying, “Yogi ji and Modi ji will fix it.”
The Ram Temple Trust has since handed over key responsibilities to a new three-member panel to investigate the alleged theft of donations. The state government has also promised a thorough inquiry.
As the controversy unfolds, the BJP’s strategy appears to be one of caution: neither defending the Trust nor attacking it, but placing faith in the chief minister’s intervention. Whether this approach will reassure the party’s core voters remains to be seen.
