Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing it of hypocrisy over the Ram Mandir issue and demanding strict action in connection with an alleged donation theft linked to the temple trust.

Context

Posting in Hindi on X, CM Sukhu declared: 'Ram naam japna, chanda chadhawa apna' ('Chanting Ram's name while pocketing the donations') — a pointed phrase he used to characterise what he called the BJP's working style. He stated that Lord Ram is his government's ideal and that his administration follows the values Lord Ram stood for, without resorting to public display. 'The BJP performs for show, because there is a gap between what they say and what they do regarding Shri Ram,' he wrote.

The Chief Minister also noted that he, along with crores of devotees, had contributed to the Ram Mandir construction according to their means. He added that on the day of the Pran Pratishtha, his government had declared a full-day public holiday across Himachal Pradesh.

The Donation Theft Allegation

Sukhu said that an incident of alleged donation theft — 'chanda chori' — had deeply hurt all Ram bhakts (devotees of Ram). While the specific incident he referenced has not been independently detailed in available records, the statement reflects a broader controversy around the management of funds collected by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust. He demanded 'strict action' in the matter, without naming specific individuals.

The allegation, if substantiated, would concern the integrity of one of India's most high-profile religious trusts, established following the Supreme Court's November 2019 verdict on the Ayodhya title dispute.

Policy Backdrop

The Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla was held on 22 January 2024 in Ayodhya, drawing nationwide participation. Multiple state governments, including the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government, declared public holidays to mark the occasion. The Congress party's national leadership had at the time declined the formal invitation to the ceremony, citing concerns about the event's political character — a decision that drew significant criticism from the BJP.

CM Sukhu's statement on 7 July 2026 represents a continuation of the Congress strategy of asserting its own devotional credentials while targeting the BJP on governance and financial accountability around the temple project. Such exchanges have intensified periodically since the 2019 verdict and have become a recurring feature of the political discourse in Himachal Pradesh and nationally.

Stakeholders and Impact

The statement is addressed implicitly to Hindu devotees who contributed financially to the Ram Mandir — a constituency both the Congress and BJP actively court. By positioning himself as a fellow Ram bhakt who donated personally and granted a public holiday, Sukhu seeks to neutralise the BJP's traditional advantage on the Ram Mandir narrative in Himachal Pradesh.

The demand for 'strict action' also puts pressure on the central government and the trust's administration to respond publicly to the alleged irregularity, elevating a potentially administrative matter into a political flashpoint.

What's Next

Observers will watch whether the BJP responds formally to CM Sukhu's accusations and whether the alleged chanda chori incident becomes the subject of a formal inquiry, parliamentary question, or legal proceeding. The Himachal Pradesh assembly session could also become a platform for the issue to be raised with greater specificity. If the controversy around Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra finances gains traction, it could reshape how both parties navigate the Ram Mandir issue ahead of future electoral cycles.