Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday (July 15, 2026) in Lucknow that the embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple had hurt devotees but added that the attempt by opposition parties, primarily the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, to defame Ayodhya and Ram Janmabhoomi was unjustified. “The Ayodhya incident has certainly hurt the faith of all Ram devotees like us. The Ram Temple Trust is an independent body, and the government has no authority to interfere in its affairs. The trust requested a probe, and the State Government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT). As soon as the SIT report came, action was initiated,” he said.

Mr. Adityanath added that six individuals who were allegedly involved in the embezzlement have been arrested, while two others accused of assisting them have also been taken into custody. “Along with the police action, two resignations have also taken place on moral grounds. But using this incident to defame Ayodhya, Ram Janmabhoomi and the faith of Hindus is incorrect,” he said, accusing the SP and Congress of politicising the issue. “This is politics by the very people who ordered the police to fire on Karsevaks, the followers of Lord Ram. They have no moral standing to speak on the issue,” he added.

Blaming previous governments for corruption and unemployment, the U.P. CM said, “Before 2017, Uttar Pradesh had neither employment opportunities for youth nor a transparent recruitment system. Government jobs were under the control of a single family, and nothing could be done without paying money. Uttar Pradesh was never a BIMARU State; rather, the thinking and functioning of the then government were diseased. Before 2017, the then State Government itself was the biggest omen of misfortune for the State.”

He added, “Over the past nine years, the State Government has provided more than nine lakh government jobs to youth in a completely transparent process, while more than 3.25 crore youth and artisans have been connected with employment and self-employment.”