AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has demanded a nationwide “social boycott” of those accused of stealing donations from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, escalating a politically charged row that has drawn the temple trust, Uttar Pradesh Police, local lawyers and opposition parties into a widening dispute over accountability.
Kejriwal’s latest remarks came after the Faizabad Bar Association resolved not to represent the accused in the alleged donation theft case and warned members of a ₹5 lakh fine if they took up their defence. The AAP leader welcomed the lawyers’ move and said people across the country should shun not only those directly accused but also those allegedly shielding influential figures. His intervention has pushed the case beyond a police investigation into a broader political battle over transparency in the handling of temple offerings.
The case centres on allegations that money and valuables donated by devotees at the Ram Temple were siphoned off during the counting and custody process. Police have registered an FIR against eight persons following a preliminary report by a Special Investigation Team. The accused named in the case include Ramshankar Yadav alias Tinnu, Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Manish Yadav, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Chandra Srivastava and Karunesh Pandey. They have been charged with theft, criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy.
All eight accused have been arrested and sent to judicial custody. Police teams have searched the houses of the accused in Ayodhya, while investigators have questioned Avinash Shukla in district jail after securing court permission. CCTV footage, including visuals involving a black bag and movement near the cash-handling area, has become central to the inquiry. Investigators are examining whether weaknesses in supervision, counting protocols and movement of offerings enabled the alleged misappropriation.
The recovery so far is reported to be about ₹80 lakh, while political rivals have cited claims of a far larger loss. Kejriwal has alleged that the arrests are aimed at lower-level employees and that “big names” are being protected. He has also questioned why central agencies have not stepped in, arguing that the scale and sensitivity of the matter require a deeper investigation.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which oversees the temple, has come under intense pressure since the FIR. Its general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra have resigned, citing moral responsibility, amid demands for a broader shake-up of the body’s functioning. The trust has maintained that it is committed to a fair probe and has asserted that donations remain safe, even as opposition parties have demanded clarity on the custody, counting and banking of offerings made by devotees.
The Faizabad Bar Association has also named Champat Rai, Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao in its public demands and asked them to leave Ayodhya within three days. Its boycott call, while welcomed by Kejriwal, has raised questions over the accused persons’ right to legal representation, a basic principle of criminal justice even in cases involving strong public sentiment.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has rejected opposition attacks and accused rival parties of exploiting faith for political gain. He has said those who had once questioned or opposed the Ram Temple movement were now using the issue to target the government. The Bharatiya Janata Party has framed the opposition’s campaign as politically motivated, while opposition leaders argue that devotion cannot be used as a shield against scrutiny of public donations.
Congress leaders have also entered the dispute, demanding action against those in charge of the trust and questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue. A delegation led by Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai was stopped from proceeding to Ayodhya, prompting further criticism from the party. BJP MLC Devendra Pratap Singh has written to the Prime Minister seeking a revamp of the temple trust and a transparent probe, signalling unease within the ruling party’s wider political ecosystem.
