Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s aggressive handling of the Ram temple theft case seems to have put him at odds with the BJP central leadership and influential sections of the larger Sangh Parivar.
Adityanath’s constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged theft of temple donations and his declaration that “no one will be spared” are clearly meant to emphasise his image as the uncompromising face of Hindutva.
Parivar and party insiders, however, say these actions have been widely interpreted within the Sangh ecosystem as a signal that even influential BJP and RSS functionaries would not be immune from action.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is at the centre of the controversy, is dominated by RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad luminaries, many of them believed to have been personally approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Adityanath seems to have seized upon the donations scandal to sharpen his image as a clean and uncompromising Hindutva leader,” a senior BJP leader in Delhi said. “He is not merely looking at a third term in Uttar Pradesh but trying to position himself as Modi’s natural political heir.”
The impact of Adityanath’s tough stance has already become evident. Trust general secretary Champat Rai and senior trustee Anil Mishra have resigned under mounting pressure from the state government.
Sources said both Rai and Mishra were initially reluctant to step down but relented after Adityanath publicly warned in Deoria on Friday that those guilty of “playing with the public’s faith” would face “grave consequences”.
Insiders claimed the trust had under Rai been firmly against the registration of an FIR but buckled under state government pressure.
Adityanath’s intent seems clear from the reception accorded by the SIT to Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh, among the first to allege corruption in the trust.
When Singh had earlier accused Rai and Mishra of irregularities in land purchases in Ayodhya and demanded a CBI probe, he had encountered a hostile administration and alleged that BJP workers had attacked his Delhi residence.
Last week, Singh was invited by the SIT to submit evidence.
“I handed over documents related to the land scam in which Champat Rai, Anil Kumar Mishra, former BJP mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay and his nephew Deep Narayan are bound to get trapped,” Singh said.
He accused Rai of facilitating the alleged theft of temple donations.
Sources said the SIT’s preliminary report, submitted to the chief minister on June 23, noted that Rai and Mishra had appointed most of the eight people arrested in the case.
It’s learnt to have also observed that complaints about missing donations had been ignored for months, with action initiated only after the controversy acquired political dimensions.
Neither Rai nor Mishra is an ordinary Sangh functionary. Rai, an RSS veteran, was one of the most recognisable faces of the Ram temple movement and is currently the VHP’s international vice-president.
Mishra too enjoys deep roots within the Sangh. Before the consecration of the Ram idol by Modi in January 2024, he and his wife Usha had performed the roles of Pradhan Yajman, undertaking elaborate religious rituals for days before the event.
The couple were seen alongside Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat during the ceremony. Those close to Adityanath have defended his approach, underlining that Assembly elections are due early next year.
“Yogiji’s commitment to Lord Ram and Sanatan Dharma is unquestionable. He cannot afford to go soft on a theft of this magnitude,” a BJP leader from Gorakhpur said.
He said no senior BJP or RSS leader can publicly advise Adityanath to dilute the probe because the theft had put the credibility of the wider Sangh Parivar itself at stake.
Adityanath’s assertiveness may also reflect a longstanding resentment at his exclusion from the Ram temple trust.
The Gorakhnath Math, which he currently heads, had played a pivotal role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement since 1949, when Ram idols were allegedly smuggled inside the Babri Masjid. But when the trust was formed in 2020, none from the Gorakhnath temple found a berth, the Gorakhpur source said.
“Despite the Gorakhnath temple’s historic contribution, every important appointment to the trust was decided by the Centre,” he said.
While Rai became the trust’s general secretary, Nripendra Misra, former principal secretary to the Prime Minister, was appointed chairman of the temple construction committee. “Yogiji was not consulted on either appointment,” the Gorakhpur source claimed.
He said Rai’s perceived proximity to the central leadership and his projection as the trust’s unquestioned authority had long irked the chief minister.
Mishra, seen widely as Modi’s choice, initially declined comment on the theft allegations, saying his responsibility had ended with the completion of the temple. As the scandal gathered momentum, though, he changed tack and spoke out against the “loot”.
After initially vouching for Rai’s “personal integrity”, he gradually distanced himself as reports detailed the alleged scale of the thefts.
He advocated the appointment of a full-time chief executive officer or administrator to oversee the temple’s day-to-day affairs, arguing the present system required structural reform.
Sources said Adityanath had begun viewing Rai with suspicion even before the SIT submitted its preliminary findings. During his visit to the Ram temple on June 19, he had reportedly instructed officials that Rai should not accompany him — marking a sharp departure from previous visits.
Beyond its political implications, the donations scandal has dealt a blow to the image of the RSS, which projects itself as a selfless organisation committed to nation-building and public service. The RSS leadership has so far maintained complete silence on the controversy.
The controversy has swivelled attention back to Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge’s allegation that the RSS operates a “huge money laundering racket”, receiving tax-exempt donations through its affiliates.