NEW DELHI: A trust that runs India’s grand Ram temple, whose consecration was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 after decades of controversy, has overhauled its leadership after people involved in counting donations were accused of stealing millions of rupees in offerings.
The construction of the temple dedicated to Ram on the site of the Babri mosque fulfilled one of the biggest promises of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which derives its support mainly from the Hindu majority.
The alleged theft at the temple has provided the opposition with ammunition ahead of an election due early next year in bellwether Uttar Pradesh, where the temple is located in the city of Ayodhya.
The temple site was bitterly contested for decades, sparking nationwide riots in 1992 that killed 2,000 people, mainly Muslims, after a Hindu mob destroyed the 16th-century Babri mosque.
‘Shameful incident’
