Amid Ram Temple Donation Row, RSS Intensifies Outreach To Ayodhya's Seers Ahead Of 2027 Polls

Ayodhya: The controversy over alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has prompted increased outreach by the RSS and other Sangh Parivar organisations to the city's seers ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

RSS functionaries have stepped up visits to Ayodhya and meetings with sadhus and saints, according to sources. The outreach is aimed at understanding concerns within the saint community and maintaining dialogue with a section of seers that has become critical of the temple management following the donation controversy.

The issue has assumed greater significance for the Sangh Parivar because the Ram temple has been central to the BJP's political campaign in Ayodhya. The controversy has also triggered meetings among local saints, with some publicly raising questions over the functioning of the temple trust.

The Special Investigation Team probing alleged irregularities in the handling of temple donations has identified 105 instances of unauthorised removal of cash on CCTV, according to its status report submitted to the Supreme Court. The SIT subsequently filed a chargesheet against eight accused. Former trust general secretary Champat Rai and former trustee Anil Mishra have been named as witnesses in the chargesheet.

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Against this backdrop, RSS functionaries have been visiting saints at their respective places rather than limiting the interaction to its traditional network of ideological supporters.

Recently, RSS all-India intellectual chief Swant Ranjan visited Ayodhya along with eastern Uttar Pradesh regional pracharak Anil Kumar and Awadh province pracharak Kaushal Kishore. The functionaries met several saints during their visit, according to sources.

The meetings have been described as informal. However, their timing has drawn attention within the organisation as the donation controversy continues to generate questions among sections of the saint community.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which has been closely associated with the Ram temple movement, is also maintaining contact with saints in Ayodhya.

The organisation is preparing for a major gathering of saints around Pratishtha Dwadashi, the anniversary of the Ram temple consecration. The proposed gathering is expected to provide a platform for interaction with seers on issues related to the temple and the wider Ram temple movement.

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According to sources, discussions are also underway on involving Ayodhya's saints in programmes in different parts of Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Assembly elections.

The idea is to use their outreach to explain the Sangh Parivar's position on issues surrounding the Ram temple and counter concerns arising from the donation controversy.

The increased attention on Ayodhya also comes against the backdrop of the BJP's defeat in the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 general election. The result, which came only months after the Ram temple consecration, led the RSS and BJP to closely examine the political situation in Ayodhya.

The donation controversy has added another layer to those concerns. The resignation of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra from the temple trust was followed by an organisational overhaul, including the appointment of an interim general secretary and plans to create a chief executive post.

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Saints' discontent had surfaced earlier too

Discontent among sections of Ayodhya's saints had also surfaced during the previous Assembly election. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had spent considerable time in Ayodhya in the run-up to polling, meeting seers and religious leaders.

The current controversy has again brought the relationship between the temple management and the local saint community into focus.

For the Sangh Parivar, the challenge is no longer confined to the investigation into alleged donation irregularities. The continuing questions around temple administration and the response of sections of the saint community have made maintaining dialogue with Ayodhya's religious leadership an important issue ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.