‘Wait 15 days, truth will come out’: CM Yogi Adityanath on SIT probe in Ram Mandir ‘missing donations’ allegations
Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 19 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday announced that a Special Investigation Team has been constituted to probe the matter flagged by the trust, and appealed to all Ram devotees and political parties to refrain from making "baseless comments" until the investigation is complete.
Addressing the issue, the Chief Minister said the state government acted on the trust's request and ordered an SIT inquiry. He assured that the investigation would "separate truth from falsehood" and urged anyone with documentary evidence to submit it to the SIT.
"My appeal to all Ram devotees is this: at the request of the trust, we have ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry. I can assure you that the SIT investigation will separate truth from falsehood. I request everyone and all parties involved to refrain from making baseless comments or statements that hurt the sentiments of Ram devotees. If anyone has any documentary evidence, they should kindly submit it to the SIT," Yogi said in Ayodhya.
On June 14, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the alleged scam involving offerings made at the Ram Mandir, following a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Trust.
The SIT comprises Vijay Vishwas Pant, IAS, Divisional Commissioner, Lucknow; Kiran S, IPS, IG (Range); and Neel Ratan, Special Secretary, Finance. The committee has been directed to submit its preliminary and final reports as soon as possible.
Adityanath urged everyone to avoid statements that could hurt the sentiments of Ram devotees or influence the probe. He added that once the SIT submits its report, any side would have an appropriate basis to present its views.
Calling for patience, he said devotees had waited 500 years for the Ram temple and could "wait another 15 days" for facts to emerge.
"My fearless appeal to all Ram devotees is this: Lord Ram taught us the value of dignity and righteous conduct. We should uphold that dignity. We waited for 500 years; now wait another 15 days. Do not be misled by those who seek to defame Ayodhya and insult the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. These people never wanted Ayodhya to gain recognition, nor did they want it to receive respect. Today, through misinformation campaigns, they are trying to insult Ayodhya Dham, the foremost among our sacred pilgrimage cities. They spread false propaganda. Their conduct is before all of you to see. These are the same people who fired bullets at Ram devotees. Just as they once wielded batons against people for chanting the name of Ram, questioned the existence of Lord Ram, and created every possible obstacle by deploying lawyers in court to hinder the process. These people should stop lecturing others. An SIT has been constituted, and the truth will come out. My appeal to everyone concerned is not to make statements until the SIT report is released, because such commentary can influence the investigation. Let the investigation proceed. After the investigation, if any side has something to say, the SIT process will provide the appropriate basis for that. But do not unnecessarily attempt character assassination, and do not try to defame Ayodhya Dham without cause," CM Yogi added.
Adityanath made it clear that no one would be spared if found guilty, "whoever they may be".
"If anyone is guilty, whoever they may be, they will not be spared--this is certain. What can these people teach us, those who treated Ram devotees in such a manner," he said.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav took aim at CM Yogi, questioning him about the Ayodhya visit.
In a post on X, Yadav said, "An SIT should also be formed to investigate someone's record-breaking 'Ayodhya' visits."
एक SIT किसी की रिकॉर्ड तोड़ ‘अयोध्या’ यात्राओं की पड़ताल के लिए भी बनानी चाहिए।
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) June 19, 2026
Earlier on June 12, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut held the BJP governments in the Centre and UP responsible for the alleged misappropriation of funds worth Rs 7 crore from offerings made at the Ayodhya Ram Temple.
The controversy stems from allegations levelled by Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Pawan Pandey, former MLA from Ayodhya, who claimed that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations had been swindled.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had demanded an impartial investigation into the matter while alleging that the silence of the UP government was suspicious. He had urged the judiciary to take cognisance of the situation and called on the temple administration to make relevant CCTV footage public.
However, on June 8, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust member, Mahant Dinendra Das Maharaj, refuted Akhilesh Yadav's allegations that crores in temple donations were missing.
Das stressed that all transactions are properly recorded and processed transparently. (ANI)
