Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut on Friday, 26 June demanded that an FIR be lodged against the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and that the body be dissolved entirely, asserting that the resignations of Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra over the alleged donation theft at Ayodhya's Ram Temple would 'won't be of any help.'

Raut's Demand: Dissolve the Trust

Raut questioned how the Trust could have remained unaware of alleged theft occurring over an extended period. 'A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted, and it submitted its report. They arrested a few minor individuals, but the entire Trust should be dissolved,' he said. He further alleged that both Champat Rai and Anil Mishra were aware of the individuals involved in counting donations, and that an FIR should be registered against the Trust as a whole. Raut noted that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was the first political leader to publicly raise the issue, after which broader outrage followed.

Ram Temple Donations Row: The Backdrop

The controversy centres on alleged embezzlement of devotee donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya — the same shrine whose consecration ceremony, or 'Pran Pratishtha,' was conducted at a grand scale with invitees from across the world. Raut pointed to the presence of CCTV cameras at the temple premises, questioning how systematic theft could have continued undetected for so long. He framed the alleged misconduct as a betrayal of the very institution that, in his words, 'brought the BJP to power.'

Six MPs Who Switched to Shinde Faction

Raut also addressed the defection of six Lok Sabha MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT) to the rival Shinde faction. He alleged, without providing documentary evidence, that the MPs were induced with sums ranging from ₹50 crore to ₹80 crore each, claiming his party possesses information on the money trail. He said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and police were also aware but had not acted. Raut noted that he, Uddhav Thackeray, and other party leaders had embarked on a three-day tour of the constituencies of the defected MPs to reconnect with the Shiv Sena's original voter base. He added that a meeting with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had yielded no tangible outcome, and expressed scepticism about institutional redress — pointing to the earlier case of Eknath Shinde leaving with 40 MLAs as a precedent where neither the Election Commission of India (ECI) nor the Supreme Court delivered relief.

ED Action Against AAP's Sanjeev Arora

Responding to the Enforcement Directorate's attachment of assets worth ₹55.57 crore belonging to Punjab Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjeev Arora and his company Hampton Sky Realty Limited, Raut called the case fabricated. He described Arora as 'a man of great integrity' and alleged the action was politically motivated, arguing that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targets loyal opposition figures with false cases.

INDIA Bloc and the PM Face Question

On the future of the INDIA opposition alliance, Raut reiterated that the bloc must enter elections with a declared Prime Ministerial candidate. He said this position was consistent with what the alliance had advocated ahead of the 2024 general elections — that projecting a PM face was essential to assuring voters of a credible alternative government. No specific name was proposed during the interaction.

As the Ram Temple trust controversy deepens and the INDIA bloc navigates internal coherence, Raut's remarks signal that Shiv Sena (UBT) intends to keep both issues firmly in the political spotlight in the weeks ahead.