Those found guilty of betraying public trust will face the law: Yogi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath said on Friday that police action against those accused of embezzling donations at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya commenced immediately after the SIT submitted its report. Yogi Adityanath, speaking in Deoria, emphasised that anyone found guilty would face consequences. This statement followed the arrest of all eight individuals named in the FIR by UP Police on Thursday night.
“The SIT report came, and action started immediately. I assure you that, as I had said, we will separate truth from falsehood,” he said. “Playing with public sentiment is unacceptable. Whoever tampers with the faith of Sanatan Dharma will have to face the consequences. No one can be given any exemption,” the CM said. He also described Ayodhya as a symbol of collective faith and Sanatan Dharma.
These arrests are the first breakthrough in this high-profile case. On Friday, police took into custody all eight people named in the FIR filed on June 25 and are now questioning them. The main accused, who was responsible for counting cash and valuables from the temple donation boxes, has been identified as Ramshankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu. Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Manish Kumar Yadav, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Chandra Srivastava, and Karunesh Pandey are the other named accused.
The CM characterised the controversy as an effort by certain political parties to target Ram devotees and discredit Ayodhya out of frustration. “When they found nothing else, they started playing with people’s faith. They are making allegations against Ram devotees and trying to defame Ayodhya Dham,” he said.
The CM stated that no one would be permitted to undermine public faith and warned that strict action would be taken against those found guilty. “Playing with public sentiment is unacceptable. Whoever tampers with the faith of Sanatan Dharma will have to face the consequences. No one can be given any exemption,” he said.
The CM alleged that political parties that had previously opposed the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the temple’s simple construction were now expressing concern for devotees’ faith. He described this as an attempt to malign Ayodhya and the Ram temple without evidence. “If there is no evidence, stop the propaganda. If there is evidence, submit it before the SIT”, he said.
The State Government has said from day one that the truth will come out. The CM called for an end to political rhetoric during the ongoing investigation, noting that professionals are conducting the probe. He urged political parties to allow the process to reach its logical conclusion.
Yogi Adityanath also criticised AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who called the UP Police FIR a “sham” during his visit to Ayodhya on Friday. Had the AAP government worked in Delhi as the BJP government did in Ayodhya, “Delhi too would have shone like Ayodhya Dham today”, he said.
