Stealing the faith at Ayodhya

Ram Temple theft case undermines RSS claims of commitment and sanskar

Alok Tiwari

In Hindu mythology and culture, Ram occupies a special place. He may be one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, but his influence extends far beyond that. His name is part of dozens of Hindi language exclamations that extend from greeting to surprise to despair and even disgust. He is seen as epitome of what humanity ought to and can be. He is often called Maryada Purushottam, the very limit of what goodness in men can be. Ram set standards of behaviour for men in every role, be it a son, a brother, a ruler, or a warrior. Ramrajya is a synonym for an ideal state where peace, prosperity, and justice prevail. He is also known as dispenser of justice even if it meant bearing immeasurable personal pain.

Probably that is why exploitation of his name for personal or political gains often does not end well. The faithful argue that Rajiv Gandhi learnt this when he allowed unlocking of the gates of what was then Babri Masjid in 1986 to counter the aftermath of his government cynically overturning the Shah Bano case judgment. Far from helping him with Hindu votes as he had hoped, the biggest ever mandate for Congress was reduced to a minority in following general elections.

The Sangh Parivar and the BJP then used the Ram temple issue to propel themselves to power. It took them over two decades, but it worked. Modi government tried its best to have the temple inaugurated before the elections were due in 2024. Prime Minister himself participated in elaborate ceremony even though many critics including the Shankaracharyas argued that the temple was not technically complete. In the elections immediately afterwards, BJP had its majority reduced to 240 from 303. Notably, the party lost the Ayodhya seat in UP.

BJP obviously does not think it was Ram’s sense of justice at work as it seeks to undo that mandate through bribery and intimidation. But the string of misfortunes related to Ram Mandir and Ayodhya continue to follow the Sangh parivar. What was spoken of in whispers initially is now a full-blown scandal. Apparently, people part of the temple administration were stealing the money, gold, ornaments and other valuables that people donated at Ram Temple.

It is anybody’s guess how long the theft has been going on but given the reports of some of the accused having amassed huge properties, it appears this may have been happening right since the Temple’s opening. As is its wont, the party’s government in UP at first tried to ignore the issue. When that became impossible it set up an SIT. Now, an FIR has been lodged and eight persons taken into custody. Even though government is appearing to act, it is clear where its sympathies lie. UP police did not even seek custody of the accused. Clearly, it does not wish to know where the trail will lead.

All of them are small operatives. Given that Ram Temple has state-of-the-art security systems, it is an open question how low-level employees could have pulled off a theft of this scale, spanning over such a long time without aid from people at the top.

Sangh has always tried to tell us that Ram Temple was more of a national issue than a religious one. It has insisted that Lord Ram was a national symbol and not merely a Hindu deity. It cast Ayodhya movement in terms of national cultural revival. It is fair to assume that in a project this important to it, it would have put its best people to work. It is clear now that those people fell way short in their calling. At the very least it is a sin of omission. It might as well be a sin of commission.

The truth may never be out. It is just too embarrassing for everybody to let the probe get to the bottom of the cesspool. And it is much more than just theft of donations. AAP MP Sanjay Singh has raised the issue of the Temple Trust having bought a couple of land parcels at prices much higher than the prevailing market rates. Land deals cannot be completed without okay from the top. Some 200 kg silver bricks donated by a Sindhi community organizations are reportedly unaccounted for. Ram alone knows if there was any hanky-panky in building Rs 5000 crore plus Temple. Haters also whisper about tales of moral turpitude but let us not go there.

These scandals could not have come at a worse time for the RSS. In its 100^th year, it continues to resist demands to get registered so its accounts and practices can be publicly audited. In so doing it asserts its exceptionalism. That it functions not on traditional rules that other organizations work but on mutual trust. It flaunts the commitment, integrity, and sanskars of its swayamsewaks as its foundation; not bylaws, elections, and fights over money.

Yet, if the biggest project Sangh helmed and saw to fruition is tainted, it is right to wonder just how deep the rot goes. Why should anyone believe the sleaze is limited to Temple Trust and does not emanate from the parent organization? Despite its sanskari claims, RSS after all has not only condoned but encouraged the most diabolical political practices of BJP and its open embrace of tainted politicians choosing power over purity. It has chosen to ignore the meteoric rise of wealth of BJP ministers, MPs, MLAs, and even corporators. It does not care about outsiders who have always taken its holier than thou claims with a pinch of salt. With many insiders now disappointed at Temple-gate breaking upon them, what will RSS do to convince them that its own top functionaries remain unaffected by the power they wield? If not for others, it needs to start being more open and accountable for its own rank and file.

This column appeared in Lokmat Times on July 2, 2026