Mayawati seeks probe into 'donation theft' at Ram temple, Badrinath shrine

Lucknow, Jul 7 (PTI) BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday called for a thorough investigation into alleged donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the Badrinath shrine in Uttarakhand, saying the role of the top management of the trusts concerned should also be examined. In a post on X, Mayawati said that after the Ram temple in Ayodhya, allegations of theft and embezzlement of offerings at the Badrinath shrine had also come into the spotlight. "Proper investigation should also be conducted into the chief managers associated with the trusts of these two renowned religious places. Otherwise, in future, those who replace them may also misuse their positions under this cover," she said. Mayawati said there is a widespread public perception that if irregularities had occurred at the lower level, they were either due to the connivance of the chief managers or their negligence. "Therefore, a proper investigation into the matter has become essential, and the government as well as the SIT should pay special attention to it," she said. The BSP chief also said that senior leaders of the SP, Congress and the AAP, who have alleged large-scale theft and embezzlement of offerings at the Ram temple, should be asked to provide concrete evidence. "Such evidence should be obtained so that no one involved in theft or embezzlement can escape. Otherwise, it will only be seen as politics in the guise of faith," she said. She further alleged that there was a common perception that these parties wanted to make the issue an electoral plank instead of focusing on matters of public interest. After the Ram temple donation theft case, irregularities were alleged in the handling of pilgrims' offerings and donations at Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has constituted a four-member panel to probe the allegations. PTI ABN APL APL