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New Delhi: Even as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath maintains a studied silence over the alleged misappropriation of Ram temple donations, he continues to aggressively leverage the temple’s political capital ahead of the 2027 assembly election.

The stinging controversy in Ayodhya has not deterred him from mobilising the Hindu electorate by framing the temple as a crowning achievement of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “double-engine” governments in Lucknow and Delhi. In government and public events over the past few weeks – and even after the controversy broke out on June 7 – Adityanath has continued to advertise the Ram Mandir as a symbol of development and Hindu unity.

The latest occasion came on June 15 at the Digital Democracy Dialogue (D3) ‘D3 Triveni,’ an event conceptualised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed Ramabai Mhalgi Prabodhini. When asked by an audience member about his 10-year master plan for Ayodhya now that the temple is built, Adityanath explained in detail how the government had promoted the city as a hub of “spiritual tourism.” However, he swiftly pivoted to target opposition parties. Without referring to the current debate over donations or the Opposition’s allegations, Adityanath said, “Those who used to fire bullets at Ram’s devotees are also talking about devotion to Ram. They, too, have realised the power of devotion to Ram. They have also started talking about faith on this issue. Now, they are reminded of faith and they recall the need to respect sadhus and sants,” he said.

The controversy over the temple erupted on June 7 when Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleged that crores of rupees from the donations made to the Ram Temple had gone missing. Yadav........

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