NEW DELHI: On Saturday, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav aimed sharp criticisms at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the alleged embezzlement of donations related to the Ram Temple. He questioned the purpose of Adityanath’s numerous visits to Ayodhya, suggesting they were merely to “oversee ongoing thefts.”

In his remarks, Akhilesh referred to a report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which allegedly revealed tampering of CCTV footage. He expressed confusion on how such irregularities could escape the Chief Minister’s notice despite his frequent trips to the temple site.

“The SIT report itself indicates that CCTV footage was tampered with. Was the Chief Minister setting a record for the number of visits to Ayodhya just to oversee ongoing theft? Why is it that, despite making so many visits, he remained unaware of the activities taking place within the temple complex?”

he stated during an interview with the news agency ANI.

Akhilesh did not stop there; he also targeted the quality of development in Ayodhya, commenting on its failure to meet the expectations of a city revered as a global pilgrimage locale. He emphasized that international visitors deserve world-class facilities.

“The development and work carried out in Ayodhya fell short of expectations; a place visited by people from across the globe should feature world-class infrastructure, and the devotees arriving with faith deserve international-standard amenities,”

Yadav remarked.

This critique followed the resignation of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra, who stepped down while taking moral responsibility amid the scandal linked to the alleged theft of Ram Temple donations.

In related legal developments, a court in Ayodhya has placed eight individuals into judicial custody until June 29 in connection with the embezzlement case. Among those arrested are Avinash Shukla, Ankalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, and several others.

Akhilesh also expressed his frustration regarding the recurring examination paper leaks affecting students. He attributed these distressing issues to the government’s inadequate administration.

“This is nothing new under this government. Issues regarding education, examinations, and paper leaks are recurring events; the government fails to learn from its mistakes, and the consequence is that our students and those preparing for exams are the ones who suffer,”

he stated.

Challenging the government’s claims regarding job creation, he questioned,

“The government speaks of building a ‘Viksit Bharat’ but if paper leaks continue in this developed India, who will provide employment? This is a major question for which the government must find a solution.”

Akhilesh laid the blame squarely on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for these ongoing challenges, asserting,

“As long as the BJP government remains in power, paper leaks will persist. There is only one party in the country creating this crisis: the BJP. The crisis will only be resolved when the BJP is removed from power.”