BJP Asks UP Leaders to Handle Temple Donation Theft and UGC Row Carefully Ahead of Elections

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) central leadership has asked its members in Uttar Pradesh to deal cautiously with two controversies: the alleged theft of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple and the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations that sparked protests. Party president Nitin Nabin, at a meeting with BJP MPs and MLAs, said the alleged embezzlement of donations had hurt Hindu society and the party organisation. He called it a 'mistake' by 'wrong people' and assured that the government would take action against the guilty and improve transparency in counting donations, sources said.

Nabin accused opposition parties of 'conspiring' to politicise the temple donation issue, citing a recent visit to Ayodhya by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal. On the UGC regulations row, which led some upper caste BJP leaders from Uttar Pradesh to resign, Nabin said party members should not panic. He stated that the intention behind the regulations was not wrong and that the government would correct any issues, according to a party leader.

BJP national general secretary (Organisation) B L Santhosh, at a closed-door meeting with newly appointed state office-bearers and others, expressed concern over both controversies. He asked leaders to inform the public that the state government had promptly formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the donation theft, filed an FIR, and made arrests. On the UGC regulations, Santhosh said that 'wrong use of words' in the notification created a negative message, and party members should explain this to the people.

The UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, notified in January, aimed to address discrimination, including caste bias, in higher education. However, the notification sparked protests, with some students claiming it could create caste divisions and lead to harassment of general category students. The Supreme Court later stayed the regulations, observing that they could have 'very sweeping consequences' and 'divide society'.

With assembly elections in various states, including Uttar Pradesh, due within a year, the BJP central leadership is concerned about the impact of these issues. Nabin, in his address, said the Samajwadi Party and Congress were 'indulging in negative politics' and asked party members not to fall into the 'trap of the Opposition'. He urged them to focus on the growth of Uttar Pradesh and complete the formation of regional and district committees by the end of the month to prepare for the 2027 elections.