Lucknow

Amidst the ongoing political turmoil in Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday termed the alleged financial irregularities at the Ram Temple as "highly serious and deeply concerning," while urging political parties not to politicise the issue.

In a post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister stated that those found guilty must not be spared, but cautioned against using the matter for political mileage. The BSP chief further suggested that the financial accounting systems followed by other prominent temples across the country should be implemented at the Ram Mandir to ensure transparency in managing offerings.

अयोध्या में श्रीराम मन्दिर से चढ़ावे की हुई चोरी, ग़बन व हेराफेरी आदि करने की मीडिया में आएदिन क़िस्म-क़िस्म की आ रही ख़बरें अति-गम्भीर व चिन्तनीय। ऐसे लोग क़तई भी बख़्शे नहीं जाने चाहिये, लेकिन इस मामले का राजनीतिकरण करना भी ठीक नहीं।
साथ ही, अब यहाँ मन्दिर में श्रद्धा के…

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) June 30, 2026

"The various types of reports appearing daily in the media regarding the theft, embezzlement, and misappropriation of offerings at the Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya are highly serious and deeply concerning. Such individuals must absolutely not be spared; however, politicising this matter is also not right. To ensure that no complaints regarding the holy offerings at the temple arise in the future, it would be appropriate to resolve this matter quickly by emulating and implementing the financial accounting systems used for managing offerings in other prominent and renowned temples across the country," Mayawati said.

The BSP chief also emphasised the need to keep politics, crime, and religion strictly separate to uphold constitutional values.

"It would be proper and constitutional to ensure that there is no criminalisation of politics, no politicisation of crime, no politicisation of religion, and no blind communalization of politics in the country. This is the BSP's advice to political parties in the interest of the nation and the public, as well as our appeal to the people of the country," she added.

The recent controversy surrounding the alleged embezzlement of donations has ignited a fresh political row within the state. While opposition parties have targeted the government over the issue, the ruling BJP has hit back, recalling the opposition's previous stance against the construction of the Ram Temple and accusing them of manufacturing a controversy.

On Monday, a local court in Ayodhya remanded all the accused in the alleged donation scam to 14 days of judicial custody. The court's decision follows a high-intensity investigation by the Uttar Pradesh Police into reports of financial irregularities and the misappropriation of funds and offerings at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple.'

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The case has triggered a massive political slugfest in Uttar Pradesh, with the ruling BJP and opposition parties trading sharp allegations over the handling of the temple's finances, even as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe continues.