BJP slams SP for 'politicising' Ram Temple donation theft, cites 1992 karsevak firing
Synopsis
The Ram Temple donation-theft row has exploded into a full-scale parliamentary confrontation. BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi's invocation of the 1992 karsevak firing is a deliberate escalation — turning a governance controversy into an identity battleground ahead of Uttar Pradesh's next political cycle. SP is not backing down either, with its MP calling it outright 'robbery.'
Key Takeaways
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi attacked the Samajwadi Party outside Parliament House on 30 July over its criticism of the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft case.
Trivedi alleged SP members are 'the same people who opened fire on karsevaks' in 1992 and sought the 'eradication of Hindu Sanatan dharma.' SP MP Awadhesh Prasad called the alleged misappropriation 'not theft but robbery,' claiming it began during the temple's construction phase.
SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav is credited by his party with first making the alleged embezzlement public.
The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is accused by the SP of protecting those responsible; the BJP says the matter is being handled per Supreme Court directions.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, 30 July launched a sharp attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP) for allegedly exploiting the controversy over embezzlement of offerings at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, with BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi invoking the 1992 firing on 'karsevaks' to question the SP's credibility on matters related to Lord Ram.
BJP's Counterattack Outside Parliament
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament House in New Delhi, Trivedi described the SP's political posturing as 'highly condemnable,' asserting that the government is handling the donation-theft matter 'with complete sensitivity and caution' and in accordance with directions from the Supreme Court.
'I want to remind those who are still doing politics over this issue — these are the same people who used to say that Ayodhya and Lord Ram never existed... these are the same people who opened fire on the karsevaks,' Trivedi alleged.
He went further, claiming that those 'who turned the Saryu river red with the blood of Ram bhakts' are now feigning concern over the alleged theft. 'Citizens know that they are actually happy because their agenda is complete eradication of the Hindu Sanatan dharma,' he said, adding that SP members 'used to tear copies of Shri Ramcharitmanas a few years back' and are now 'pretending to be followers of Lord Ram.' He concluded: 'This is not devotion but dishonesty.'
SP Doubles Down on Theft Allegations
The SP showed no signs of backing down. SP MP Awadhesh Prasad reiterated his party's charge that 'large-scale theft' of offerings has occurred at the Ram Temple, alleging the misappropriation began during the temple's construction phase itself.
'This is not theft but robbery. Members of the BJP and RSS have robbed crores of devotees who have faith and worship Lord Ram,' Prasad said.
He credited SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav with first bringing the alleged embezzlement to public attention, and accused the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh of attempting to shield those responsible for the misappropriation.
Context and Background
The dispute centres on allegations that offerings — donations made by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya — have been systematically siphoned off. The BJP has framed the SP's criticism as opportunistic, given the party's historical opposition to the Ram Temple movement. The SP, in turn, has sought to position itself as a defender of devotees' trust.
Notably, the row has erupted inside Parliament, signalling that the issue is likely to remain a flashpoint in the political contest between the two parties ahead of future electoral cycles in Uttar Pradesh.
What Happens Next
The matter is reportedly being monitored in line with Supreme Court directives, according to the BJP. No formal police charge sheet has been publicly disclosed as yet. Political observers expect the controversy to intensify as both parties seek to consolidate their respective voter bases among Hindu devotees in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.
Point of View
To a culture-war frame where the SP is perennially on the back foot. But the SP's persistence is also tactical: framing the theft as betrayal of ordinary devotees is a rare opening for a party historically seen as hostile to the Ram Temple cause. The real accountability question — who oversaw the offerings, under what audit mechanism, and what the Supreme Court has actually directed — is being drowned out by competitive outrage. That silence on process is where the story actually lives.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Ram Temple donation theft controversy?
The controversy involves allegations that offerings made by devotees at the Ayodhya Ram Temple have been embezzled, reportedly beginning during the temple's construction phase. The Samajwadi Party first raised the issue publicly, calling it large-scale theft; the BJP denies any cover-up and says the matter is being handled per Supreme Court directions.
What did BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi say about the SP?
Trivedi alleged that the SP is 'politicising' the issue and called its concern 'dishonesty rather than devotion.' He invoked the 1992 firing on karsevaks and claimed SP members previously denied the existence of Ayodhya and Lord Ram, and tore copies of the Ramcharitmanas.
What has the Samajwadi Party alleged about the Ram Temple offerings?
SP MP Awadhesh Prasad alleged that offerings have been stolen on a large scale since the temple's construction phase, calling it 'robbery' by BJP and RSS members. SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav is credited by the party with first making the alleged embezzlement public.
What is the Yogi Adityanath government's role in the controversy?
The SP has accused the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh of trying to protect those responsible for the alleged misappropriation. The BJP, in contrast, says the government is handling the matter with sensitivity in accordance with Supreme Court directions.
Why is the 1992 karsevak firing reference significant?
The BJP's invocation of the 1992 firing on karsevaks — which occurred during the Ayodhya movement under a Samajwadi-aligned political dispensation — is intended to question the SP's moral standing to criticise anything related to the Ram Temple. It reframes a governance controversy as an identity and historical accountability debate.
