RSS first statement on Ram Mandir: ‘Sentiments hurt, guilty must face punishment’

Written by: Deeptimaan Tiwary

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 3, 2026 05:00 PM IST

The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Breaking its silence on the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday said it was natural for the entire Hindu society, “including the RSS”, to expect the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to treat the episode as an “extraordinary matter” and take effective steps to rectify all shortcomings in the temple’s management and operations so that the faith of crores of devotees remains unbroken.

In a statement issued by RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale, the Sangh said the “highly condemnable” incident had deeply hurt the sentiments of Ram devotees and asserted that the prevailing “confusion and uncertainty” surrounding the episode must end through corrective measures by the Trust and the government-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The statement marks the RSS’s first formal intervention in the controversy that has engulfed the temple administration after allegations that donations from the Ram Lalla temple were siphoned off. The row has already claimed its biggest casualty with Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s general secretary Champat Rai stepping down from his post amid mounting pressure. Investigators have also arrested his driver as part of the probe into the alleged theft.

Hosabale said the grand Ram Temple had become a symbol of reverence and devotion through the sacrifices of generations of Ram devotees and that the theft from the donation boxes had caused deep pain and anger across Hindu society.

Referring to the investigation, the RSS said the Uttar Pradesh government had constituted an SIT at the request of the Trust and initiated legal proceedings on the basis of its recommendations. It said anyone found guilty in the probe should face severe punishment.

The Sangh also expressed confidence that the Trust would restore public confidence through “proper financial management, flawless and transparent operational systems, and an atmosphere imbued with purity, sanctity and true dharmikta (religiosity)”.

Statement issued by Dattatreya Hosabale, Sarkaryavah (General Secretary) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

New Delhi, July 3, 2026

The grand temple constructed at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi has become a center of reverence, faith, and devotion for the entire Hindu society,… pic.twitter.com/ppdkc8kuwU

— RSS (@RSSorg) July 3, 2026

Calling for restraint, the RSS urged Hindu society not to allow “anti-Hindu and anti-national forces” to exploit the controversy to defame Hindu society and the faith.

Eight men — Avinash Shukla, Lavkush Mishra, Anukalp Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, and Subhash Srivastav — have been arrested in connection with the case so far. Tinnu used to work as a driver for Rai, Srivastav, a retired bank employee, was in charge of the donation counting shifts and the other six were involved in the counting of donations received at the temple.

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Rai and trustee Anil Mishra had sent their resignations to the Trust after the FIR was lodged on June 25 and arrests were made. Officials had said they were the key persons behind the administration of the temple and knew the eight accused. The Trust had earlier said a decision on the resignation letters would be taken at its next meeting.

Why RSS statement is significant

The statement assumes significance because of the RSS’s long and central association with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The Sangh and its affiliates played a pivotal role in mobilising the nationwide campaign that culminated in the construction of the temple after decades of political, legal and social mobilisation. Even after the temple’s inauguration, the Trust has widely been perceived as functioning under the broad ideological guidance of leaders associated with the Sangh Parivar, making the alleged theft and questions over temple finances particularly damaging to the organisation’s public image.

Because of this close historical association, the controversy has cast a direct shadow over the RSS as much as the Trust, making Friday’s statement an attempt by the organisation to distance itself from alleged administrative lapses while simultaneously demanding accountability and systemic reforms.