PM Modi owes nation an explanation on Ayodhya Ram temple endowment embezzlement case: Pinarayi Vijayan

Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan | Photo credit: File photo

Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala on Sunday (Jun 28, 2026) asked the Union government to order an independent, Supreme Court-monitored probe into the Ayodhya Ram temple endowment embezzlement case, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who presided over the dedication of the temple, owed the nation an explanation.

In a Facebook post, he said those who abused people’s faith for political gains now face charges of organized financial fraud.

“The Trustees are connected to the top brass of the Sangh Parivar. The trust created by the Union Government under an order placed on the table of Parliament is now under suspicion. The trust and its leaders have an obligation to explain where the money collected by exploiting the devotion of the people has gone. The misappropriation of the Ayodhya temple fund,” he said, adding that the latest example that illustrates the true politics of the Parivar is the Sangh.

The FIR alleges that there was a coordinated theft in which these temple staff and money counting staff systematically stole cash from donation boxes and hid temple valuables during the counting and sorting stages. The special investigation team found that the accused deliberately obstructed the view of the security cameras while handling the donations.

Among the arrested accused, Rama Shankar Yadav is believed to be a close associate of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary and a key figure in the temple agitation of Champat Rai, a member of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) for more than four decades.

Published – 28 Jun 2026 16:22 IST