Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav on Tuesday, 4 August called the alleged theft of donations, precious metals, and ornaments from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya a 'very serious matter,' asserting that it has wounded the religious sentiments of people across India. Her remarks came as the controversy over the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust triggered a significant disruption in both Houses of Parliament.

What Dimple Yadav Said

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Dimple Yadav demanded accountability over the alleged financial irregularities. 'The issue is how much donation, how many metals, and how many ornaments were stolen from the Ram Temple. There were also allegations of land scams. The question is where the money went and who benefited from it. Nobody knows how many crores of rupees may have been involved in these land deals. This is indeed a very serious matter because it has, somewhere, played with the sentiments of the country,' she said.

She added that the Samajwadi Party (SP) would continue pressing the demand, saying, 'Ram Mandir is connected to people's emotions, and this is the heritage of our country... We want whatever devotion and emotion with which people have given this money to be used in the right way.'

Shivpal Yadav Alleges Financial Mismanagement

SP MLA Shivpal Yadav also trained his guns on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, alleging broader fiscal mismanagement. 'This government presents a flawed budget every year and is unable to utilise nearly 30 per cent of it. What kind of government is this? It allows theft of donations, temple offerings, and even fails to properly utilise public funds,' he said.

Parliament Disrupted Over the Issue

The controversy erupted in the Rajya Sabha after Congress president and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the alleged Ram Temple donation theft during Zero Hour, triggering protests from National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members who accused the Opposition of disrespecting Lord Ram and demanded an apology. Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan intervened, urging members to allow both sides to be heard, in keeping with the traditions of the House. The session was adjourned briefly amid the chaos.

Opposition Protest at Makar Dwar

Opposition MPs, including Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, SP's Dimple Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav, All India Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s Sagarika Ghose, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)'s Sanjay Yadav and Manoj Jha, and RSP's N.K. Premchandran, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex in front of the Makar Dwar. Carrying placards and raising slogans including 'chhanda chor, gaddi chor,' they also placed symbolic donation boxes at the site, with some MPs depositing cash to dramatise the alleged theft. The protesters also questioned the absence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Parliament. Notably, the demonstration also raised the issue of alleged 'police excesses' against student protesters.

What Comes Next

The Opposition has signalled it will continue pressing the issue in Parliament, with SP leaders framing it as a matter of public trust in religious institutions. The government has yet to issue a formal response to the specific allegations of financial irregularities at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. How the ruling dispensation addresses demands for a transparent audit of the trust's finances is likely to shape the political temperature in the sessions ahead.