Listen to this article:

New Delhi: A special investigation team comprising a high-ranked police officer and two senior officials will investigate the allegations of financial misappropriation of donations made at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Breaking a week of awkward silence, the Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday, June 13, constituted the SIT under intense political and internal pressure.

Members of the Adityanath government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had initially either termed the allegations as an ‘internal matter’ of the trust that manages the temple or completely dismissed them as rumours spread by the opposition.

However, while announcing the formation of the SIT, the government said the high-level investigation team was formed on the instructions of Chief Minister Adityanath on the “request” of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Curiously, however, neither the Trust nor its individual members made any such request or statement public. It is also not clear when such a “request” was made and on what grounds. Amid speculation of a confidential internal inquiry, the Trust had so far remained tight-lipped and publicly maintained that they had not come across any wrongdoing.

A press note issued by the government said “rumours” were being spread on social media regarding donation boxes at the temple and credited Adityanath for taking them “seriously.”

“According to the Trust, a detailed investigation is necessary to stop the rumours and bring out the truth. The Trust stated that this is a deep conspiracy to damage the image of the Teerth Kshetra and hurt the faith of millions of devotees, and thus it is essential to expose it,” UP government said.

In a post on X, UP CM’s office said the government had constituted a three-member........

© The Wire