Mumbai, September 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has criticised the BJP and its ideological allies over the alleged theft and misappropriation of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, describing the reported incidents as a “stain on national pride”.
In an editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamana on Wednesday, the party alleged that those who came to power on the Hindutva plank had compromised the sacrifices associated with the Ram temple movement.
The editorial referred to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) status report placed before the Supreme Court, which said investigators had identified 105 instances of unauthorised removal or concealment of currency from the temple’s counting room through examination of CCTV footage and other evidence. The SIT has also been conducting forensic and financial scrutiny as part of the investigation.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) editorial claimed that the findings contradicted earlier political statements dismissing allegations of irregularities as attempts to malign Hindutva. It accused the BJP-led establishment of failing to protect temple donations and questioned the accountability mechanisms governing the handling of offerings.
The editorial also alleged irregularities in land transactions around the temple site, claiming that some individuals linked to the BJP acquired land at lower prices and later sold it to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust at substantially higher rates. It further accused the ruling establishment of turning Ayodhya’s religious significance into a commercial enterprise.
The party also criticised the disruption of parliamentary proceedings over the issue and alleged that the matter had not received adequate political scrutiny.
The editorial invoked the sacrifices made during the Ram temple movement and alleged that those who contributed to the movement had been sidelined while others gained control over the temple administration and its finances.
It credited the Opposition, including the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s “Ram Raksha” campaign, with bringing the alleged irregularities into public focus and warned that failures in oversight could have allowed the problem to grow further.
The SIT investigation is still subject to the legal process. The Uttar Pradesh government has informed the Supreme Court that the chargesheet in the case is to be filed by September 25, following completion of the investigation.
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