U.P. Opposition Demands Public Release of SIT Report on Ram Temple Funds, Alleges Clean Chit to Key Figure
Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) called the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report on the Ram Temple embezzlement case a “farce” and an “eyewash” after reports emerged through sources that the SIT has given a clean chit to Champat Rai, the former general secretary of the temple trust.
The SIT was constituted by the state government on June 13 to investigate allegations of misappropriation of cash and valuables donated to the temple. On July 1, its tenure was extended by 15 days to finalise the inquiry. The team comprises Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Inspector General (Lucknow Range) Kiran S., and Neelratan Kumar, Special Secretary in the finance department.
The report has not been officially released, but opposition leaders challenged its credibility, demanding that it be made public. They also reiterated their call for a Supreme Court-monitored probe, arguing that a selective leak of the report’s findings suggests a strategy to protect influential individuals associated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
Ajay Rai, president of the Uttar Pradesh Pradesh Congress Committee, said: “Such a report is an eyewash and farce. Small people have been named as accused in the case. We are saying from day one that the BJP government is saving VHP-linked big people close to the ruling dispensation. We are constantly demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe in the matter, only then the truth will come out.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sunil Singh Yadav ‘Sajan’ said: “The report should be made public. The selective leak in certain media through sources giving a clean chit to Champat Rai, highlighting that he is not involved in donation embezzlement, amounts to a calculated strategy by the ruling BJP to set a narrative in favour of the VHP and save powerful people linked to the ruling dispensation. Only a Supreme Court-monitored probe can unearth the truth. This is a matter of faith.”
The opposition’s statements come even as the state government has yet to officially present the SIT findings. The Supreme Court’s earlier intervention in the matter had been sought by petitioners who expressed doubts about the investigation’s impartiality.
The Ram Temple trust, officially known as the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, had come under scrutiny after allegations surfaced regarding the handling of donations collected for the temple’s construction. The SIT was tasked with examining these claims and identifying any lapses or wrongdoing.
Neither the state government nor the SIT has responded to the opposition’s allegations as of Tuesday evening. The BJP, which is in power in Uttar Pradesh, has not issued an official statement on the matter.
Political observers note that the demand for a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry reflects the opposition’s lack of trust in the state-appointed team. The case has gained significance as the Ram Temple is a subject of deep religious and cultural importance, making transparency in the inquiry crucial for public confidence.
The opposition has also pointed out that the SIT report’s findings, if they indeed absolve the key functionaries, would contradict earlier claims of irregularities. They have called for the full document to be tabled in the state legislature or made available to the public for scrutiny.
At the heart of the dispute is the question of accountability for the management of donated funds. The opposition argues that the inquiry has been conducted in a manner that shields powerful figures, while the government maintains that the SIT has done its duty independently. Until the report is officially published, the controversy is likely to persist.
