Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday, 9 July challenged the integrity of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged embezzlement of donations at Ayodhya's Ram Temple, demanding a call detail records (CDR) audit of the accused and full accountability from senior officials of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The remarks drew sharp rebuttals from multiple Uttar Pradesh ministers, who accused the SP chief of politicising religion.

What Akhilesh Yadav Said

Posting on X, Yadav questioned the SIT's conduct, alleging that the accused were being given undue latitude. 'What kind of restriction is this where the police are opening the door to welcome the accused? How can someone whose name isn't in the interim report be in the final one?' he wrote.

Yadav drew a pointed reference to Champat Rai, the Trust's former General Secretary, whose driver Tinnu Yadav has been arrested in the case. 'If the driver gets trapped, the owner gets trapped too,' he said. He further claimed that a CDR pull would reveal that 'the most calls came from BJP folks themselves.'

Calling for the dissolution of the entire trust, Yadav argued that resignations alone — referring to those of Champat Rai and former Trustee Anil Mishra — should not shield officials from scrutiny. 'Mere resignation whitewashing won't cut it. For all those who've stepped down, a judicial probe must be set up on every land deal and other actions signed off by them. Resignation shouldn't become an escape route,' he said.

UP Ministers Push Back

Uttar Pradesh Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) President O.P. Rajbhar dismissed Yadav's remarks, saying the SP chief should 'first visit and seek the blessings of Lord Ram before making such statements,' adding that the public was not taking his comments seriously given that Yadav has reportedly not visited Ayodhya for darshan.

Minister Manoj Pandey went further, targeting the SP's historical record: 'Those people should stop advising Sanatanis whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent karsevaks. The country does not want to hear from such people.'

Minister Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary defended the SIT, asserting that the state government constituted it to ensure a 'fair investigation.' He accused the Opposition of pursuing a 'negative agenda,' alleging that the SP and the Indian National Congress (INC) have 'always worked to insult Sanatan Dharma, saints, and our monasteries and temples.'

Minister Sanjay Nishad said: 'When Ram Temple was being built, questions were raised on faith. Now, Lord Ram is being used for politics.'

Background: The Ram Temple Donation Case

The SIT was set up following allegations of financial irregularities involving donations collected at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The arrest of Tinnu Yadav, driver to former General Secretary Champat Rai, brought the case into sharp political focus. Both Champat Rai and former Trustee Anil Mishra have since resigned from the Trust, though their departures have not quieted opposition demands for a broader judicial inquiry.

What Comes Next

With the SIT probe ongoing and opposition pressure mounting for a CDR-based audit and judicial oversight of Trust land deals, the case is set to remain a flashpoint between the BJP-led state government and the SP. The outcome of the investigation — and whether it reaches beyond the driver to senior figures — will be closely watched ahead of the state's political calendar.