Tragic, shameful: Priyanka Gandhi slams alleged Ram Temple donation theft

Wayanad,UPDATED: Jun 27, 2026 15:12 IST

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday described the alleged theft of donations collected for the Ram temple in Ayodhya as "tragic" and "shameful", and said those responsible for collecting and safeguarding the money must also be held accountable. Speaking to reporters after a meeting at the Wayanad Collectorate, she demanded a thorough inquiry by the Uttar Pradesh government.

The controversy over the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the temple surfaced on June 7. The Uttar Pradesh government set up a Special Investigation Team on June 13 at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and the SIT later submitted its preliminary report to the government.

An FIR was registered on the night of June 25 on the SIT's recommendations, and Ayodhya police confirmed the arrests of the accused on Friday. All eight persons arrested in the case have been remanded in judicial custody till June 29.

Priyanka said, "It is really tragic. People from across the country-those who believe and have faith-made donations, and now those donations have reportedly been stolen. I think it is tragic and shameful." She said the government must investigate what happened, how it happened and why it happened.

She said many people had contributed to the temple as part of a nationwide fundraising drive and that those who collected the donations must also take responsibility. "If people have given, women have given from their savings, from their homes, poor people have given... It's not just funds given by big corporates. These are funds collected from ordinary citizens. There was a drive to collect them," she said.

Priyanka also asked who was responsible for keeping the donations safe. "Who's responsible? If you collected them, it's your responsibility to keep them safe," she said.

A senior official said the SIT had made "strong and strict" recommendations in its preliminary report submitted to the state government earlier this week. The official also said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was "very serious" about the matter and that anyone found guilty would face stringent action.

Priyanka, who arrived in her Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday, is scheduled to attend various programmes and meetings during her visit, while the investigation into the alleged donation embezzlement continues.

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