Akhilesh Questions Yogi’s Silence Over the Ayodhya Controversy

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has accused the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government of failing to take effective action in the alleged theft of donations collected for the Ayodhya Ram Temple. Questioning who was protecting those involved in the case, Akhilesh asked why the Chief Minister was maintaining silence and who would take responsibility for the incident. He also criticised the government over land acquisition in Ayodhya, alleging that residents were not given adequate compensation despite their land being taken in the name of development. The remarks came after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently demanded an apology from those responsible for the 1990 firing on kar sevaks during Mulayam Singh Yadav’s tenure. Yogi made the remarks in response to Akhilesh’s statement that he would soon visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, saying that those who had neglected the holy city should apologise before coming for darshan.

Responding to the Chief Minister’s comments, Akhilesh launched a fresh attack on the state government over the donation theft case. Meanwhile, eight people have reportedly been arrested so far in connection with the alleged misappropriation of cash donations at the Ram Temple. The state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. The accused were arrested on allegations that they diverted money while counting cash donations. Police have reportedly recovered ₹79.85 lakh from the accused as part of the investigation. The case has now triggered a political confrontation between the Samajwadi Party and the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government.