Kejriwal prays at Panaji temple, seeks strict action against those behind Ayodhya donation theft
Arvind Kejriwal visited the Maruti temple in Panaji on Saturday, where he said he offered prayers seeking punishment for those who is responsible for the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.Speaking to reporters after the visit, Kejriwal said that lakhs of devotees across the country had contributed to the Ayodhya temple out of genuine faith.
The AAP leader also raised a specific case, alleging that a former Union home secretary had gifted a one-kilogram gold-plated replica of the Ramcharitmanas — the well-known devotional text authored by Tulsidas — to the Ram temple.
According to Kejriwal, the item later went missing, and when the donor tried to seek clarification.Kejriwal was joined at the temple by AAP's Goa in-charge Atishi, the party's Goa unit president Valmiki Naik, and several other local leaders. He reiterated his demand that everyone found to be involved in the donation scam receive the harshest possible punishment, and called for a thorough probe into anyone found to be protecting or supporting those accused.
He further said that devotees who had contributed to the temple deserved full transparency and accountability regarding how their donations were being managed and utilised. As of now, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which oversees the temple's affairs, has not issued any official response to Kejriwal's allegations.
Following a preliminary inquiry by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Uttar Pradesh government, a formal FIR was lodged on June 25. So far, eight individuals connected to the donation-handling operations at the temple have been taken into custody, and the investigation into the matter remains ongoing.
Kejriwal's temple visit comes as part of a larger three-day tour of Goa that began on Thursday.The Ayodhya donation issue has increasingly taken on a national political dimension, with Kejriwal using multiple public platforms in recent weeks to press the Centre and temple authorities for accountability. His repeated remarks linking the alleged scam to larger questions of governance and transparency suggest AAP intends to keep the issue in the spotlight as part of its broader opposition strategy heading into future state elections.
