Ram Temple trust chief Champat Rai rejects Akhilesh Yadav's missing funds claim
Synopsis
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged crores of rupees had gone missing from the Ram Temple donation fund — a claim the Trust's General Secretary Champat Rai flatly rejected as 'baseless', pointing to an ongoing SBI-supervised audit that has so far found nothing irregular. With police now in contact with the Trust and no complaint filed yet, the controversy is far from settled.
Key Takeaways
Champat Rai , General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust , on 7 June dismissed allegations of missing donation funds as 'baseless.' Akhilesh Yadav alleged on social media platform X that crores of rupees had gone missing from the Ram Temple Hundi, calling it 'a shameful situation.' Rai confirmed an ongoing internal audit of the Hundi counting room is being conducted jointly by Trust representatives and State Bank of India (SBI) , with no irregularities found so far.
Police have contacted the Trust seeking clarity; no formal complaint has been lodged as of the report.
The controversy has escalated into a matter of national political significance, with courts yet to respond to Yadav's demand for immediate cognisance.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai on Sunday, 7 June firmly rejected allegations by Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav that crores of rupees had gone missing from the Ram Temple donation fund in Ayodhya, calling the claims 'baseless' and asserting that the Trust's financial operations are fully transparent.
What Champat Rai Said
Rai clarified that the Trust conducts regular internal audits in which representatives of both the Trust and the State Bank of India (SBI) participate. He stated that the ongoing audit of the Hundi counting room — a secure facility that processes daily cash, cheques, and precious offerings at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple — had so far revealed nothing irregular.
'The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra undergoes internal audits from time to time. The Hundi counting room exercise continues for several days, and the same process is currently underway. So far, nothing noteworthy has come to light,' Rai said.
He urged devotees not to be misled by what he described as unfounded claims, reiterating the Trust's commitment to accountability in managing temple finances.
Akhilesh Yadav's Allegations
Akhilesh Yadav had posted on social media platform X, describing the matter as 'a very sensitive news for the worshippers of Lord Ram across the world' and calling it 'a shameful situation for the temple trust.' He alleged that money worth crores of rupees had gone missing and demanded that courts take immediate cognisance of the issue. The SP chief also suggested that the silence of the 'Sanatani' society on the matter was suspicious.
The remarks triggered intense political and administrative discussions, rapidly escalating the issue to national significance.
Police Response and Current Status
Following the allegations, the police administration reached out to the Trust to seek clarity. According to reports, no official complaint has been lodged by the Trust so far. Police officials are, however, closely monitoring the situation and remain in contact with the Trust, awaiting any formal communication regarding irregularities.
Background on the Hundi System
The Hundi counting room at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple is a specialised, secure facility jointly managed by the Trust and SBI. It is designed to process the large volumes of cash, cheques, and precious items offered by devotees daily. The involvement of a nationalised bank in the audit process is intended to ensure independent oversight of the Temple's donation receipts.
This is not the first time the finances of a major temple trust have come under political scrutiny in India, and the controversy is likely to intensify as the audit process concludes in the coming days.
Point of View
And a financial controversy at the country's most high-profile temple is a potent instrument. But the allegation carries a burden of proof that has not yet been met: no FIR, no whistleblower, no audit finding. Champat Rai's counter-narrative — an ongoing SBI-supervised audit with nothing flagged — is structurally harder to attack without a specific figure or evidence. What mainstream coverage is missing is the question of whether the Trust's audit disclosures are publicly accessible, and whether SBI's role constitutes genuine independent oversight or a procedural formality. Until the audit concludes and its findings are made public, both the allegation and the rebuttal remain assertions.
NationPress
23 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Akhilesh Yadav allege about the Ram Temple donation fund?
Akhilesh Yadav alleged on social media platform X that crores of rupees had gone missing from the Ram Temple's Hundi donation fund in Ayodhya, calling it 'a shameful situation for the temple trust' and demanding courts take immediate cognisance.
How did the Ram Temple Trust respond to the allegations?
Trust General Secretary Champat Rai called the allegations 'baseless,' stating that an internal audit jointly conducted by Trust representatives and the State Bank of India is currently underway and has found no irregularities so far.
What is the Hundi counting room at the Ram Temple?
The Hundi counting room is a specialised, secure facility at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, jointly managed by the Trust and SBI to process daily cash, cheques, and precious offerings from devotees.
Has any police complaint been filed over the Ram Temple fund allegations?
No formal complaint has been lodged by the Trust as of 7 June. Police have, however, contacted the Trust seeking clarity and are closely monitoring the situation.
What happens next in the Ram Temple donation fund controversy?
The ongoing audit of the Hundi counting room is expected to conclude in the coming days. Its findings will be critical in either substantiating or fully rebutting the allegations. Courts have not yet responded to Yadav's demand for cognisance.
