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The theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which is now being probed by a SIT formed by the Uttar Pradesh government and being investigated by the state police, has created a political firestorm. For Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), distancing themselves from the scandal is proving exceptionally difficult. 

Recent surveys, such as one by C Voter, indicate that 53.7% of NDA voters feel their trust has been compromised by the theft. The stealing of offerings is being viewed by devotees not just as a financial crime, but as a deep religious betrayal, directly threatening the BJP’s most loyal voter base.

Because the party deliberately fused its brand with the temple’s construction and symbolism and Modi claimed full credit for the religious project, he has to consequently also be accountable and inherit the blame when anything goes wrong inside it, that too under the charge of the people handpicked by him. 

Here are six reasons why Modi and the BJP are finding it hard to extricate themselves from the Ram Temple Theft.

1. Temple is the BJP’s core political asset, not a religious project

The construction of the Ram Temple is not just another religious project; it is the political crown jewel of the BJP and the broader Sangh Parivar. The party rose to national dominance on the back........

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