‘Why Silent On Waqf’: Yogi Adityanath Attacks Congress, SP Over Ayodhya Ram Mandir Donation Row

Last Updated:July 07, 2026, 13:51 IST

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleged that the Opposition ignored issues concerning Hindu religious institutions while selectively targeting the Ram Temple trust.

Ram Temple Donation Row: Amid the ongoing controversy over the alleged donation theft at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on opposition parties, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, accusing them of targeting Hindu faith for political gains.

While addresing a gathering in Pratapgarh, the Chief Minister alleged that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party were politicising the issue while they remained silent on alleged irregularities related to Waqf properties.

“I want to ask the people of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress: regarding the alleged theft in Ayodhya, over which you are making a mockery of Hindu faith, tell me, did you speak up even once about thousands of hectares of land, both within the state and across the country, sold off in the name of the Waqf? This land belonged to the poor and weaker sections of society and could have been allotted to them through leases or used for their welfare," he said as quoted by news agency ANI.

The Chief Minister further alleged that the Opposition ignored issues concerning Hindu religious institutions while selectively targeting the Ram Temple trust.

“Why do the people of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress seem to have their mouths sealed shut with Fevicol when it comes to the Waqf issue? Was Hindu faith not hurt when funds donated by Hindus for religious sites were misused to build boundary walls for graveyards? Was Hindu faith not hurt when illegal slaughterhouses were run, cows were killed and Ram bhakts were fired upon in Ayodhya? Were Hindu sentiments not hurt when the Kanwar Yatra was restricted?" he asked.

“The ancestors of Ram devotees fought for Ayodhya, so they have the right to speak about it. But the Congress has no such right. The Congress denied the very existence of Lord Ram, while the Samajwadi Party opened fire on Ram devotees. What faith are they talking about?" he said as quoted by news agency IANS.

Yogi further alleged that the Opposition’s “biggest grievance" was that a grand Ram Temple now stood at the site where they had wanted the Babri structure to remain.

“They have no real issues left. Their only agenda is to divide people in the name of caste and attack faith. Today, Ayodhya attracts everyone, and that is what is troubling the Opposition," he said.

CM Yogi Defends Trust

Moreover, the Chief Minister defended the trust’s functioning and said that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust was functioning independently and that there was no interference in its work.

“The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust is carrying out its work, and there is no interference in its functioning," he said.

Referring to the ongoing investigation into the donation controversy, the Chief Minister said the trust itself had sought the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and asserted that action had already been taken wherever evidence was found.

“The Ram Janmabhoomi Trust had sought the formation of an SIT. I had said that the truth would come out, and action has been taken against those against whom evidence was available," he said.

Ram Temple Donation Row

The case centres on allegations that cash and valuables donated to the temple may have been misappropriated. Questions have been raised over the handling of 70 kg of silver, 1,250 kg of gold, Rs 200 crore in cash and other donated items, including offerings linked to Lord Ram’s idol and sacred padukas.

Champat Rai resigned as the former general secretary of the temple trust following the SIT probe into the alleged donation theft.

Eight people associated with the temple’s donation collection and counting process have been arrested so far, while the investigation into the alleged misappropriation of devotees’ contributions is continuing.

So far, investigators have recovered substantial amounts of cash from the accused, including Rs 20.39 lakh from Avinash Shukla, Rs 18.07 lakh from Karunesh Pandey, Rs 16.82 lakh from Anukalp Mishra, Rs 14.25 lakh from Lavkush Mishra, Rs 7.32 lakh from Ramashankar Mishra and Rs 1 lakh from Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu.

(With inputs from agencies)

About the Author

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degre...Read More

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