Ayodhya/Lucknow: Ram Temple Construction Committee chairman Nripendra Misra on Sunday praised the UP government’s response to the allegations of embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, saying the first aspect that deserved appreciation was the speed with which the state constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT).“The first thing that deserves appreciation is that the state government took less than 24 hours to constitute an SIT,” Misra said while responding to questions from reporters in Ayodhya.He said that the concerns being raised by citizens were justified and that he himself shared those concerns. However, he stressed that the government’s prompt action showed its seriousness in getting to the bottom of the matter. The focus should now be on allowing the SIT to complete its work rather than rushing to conclusions.Misra said the public should draw confidence from the fact that the government not only constituted the SIT quickly but also imposed strict timelines for the inquiry. The former principal secretary to the PM said the inquiry would help identify any shortcomings or lapses and provide recommendations for corrective action.Mishra maintained that given the swift constitution of the SIT, the seniority of its members and the time-bound nature of the probe, all stakeholders should wait for the investigation to conclude before arriving at any conclusions.Meanwhile, Ayodhya MP Awadhesh Prasad said the allegations were linked to the faith of millions of devotees who visit the temple and make offerings in the name of Lord Ram. Expressing concern over the allegations, he said a thorough and independent investigation was necessary to ensure that the sanctity of the temple and public trust in its management remained intact.Prasad demanded that the existing temple trust be suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry and called for the constitution of an independent committee under the supervision of the Supreme Court to investigate the matter.The MP said the proposed committee should examine every aspect of the alleged fraud, including the handling of donations, accounting practices and the movement of funds.Senior BJP functionary and veteran of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement Vinay Katiyar also demanded a thorough investigation and strict action against anyone found responsible, including members of the temple trust if their involvement is established.Speaking to reporters at his residence, Katiyar described the allegations as a serious matter that could not be dismissed as a minor irregularity and said the issue had deeply disturbed those who had spent decades fighting for the construction of the Ram Temple. He also hinted to visit the temple on Monday.“The investigation is underway. This is a serious matter and not something trivial. People are deeply hurt and upset by these allegations,” Katiyar said.Recalling the sacrifices made during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, he said many leaders and activists had faced imprisonment and political setbacks in pursuit of the temple cause.Temple boundary wall to be ready by Auf: MisraDiscussing the developmental works of the Ram temple, Nripendra Misra said that major infrastructure works associated with the complex are progressing according to revised timelines, with the four-kilometre-long boundary wall is expected to be completed by the end of August 2026.Misra said the construction strategy had been modified to accelerate the pace of work. Instead of carrying out construction sequentially from a single direction, authorities have decided to open multiple work fronts simultaneously.“Rather than proceeding from one direction and gradually moving forward, it has been decided that work will commence at six different locations simultaneously. This will provide better access for machinery, manpower and materials, and the improved access is expected to significantly increase the speed of construction,” he said.Misra also updated on the planned watch towers around the temple complex. According to him, 25 watch towers are to be constructed as part of the broader security and monitoring infrastructure.He noted that these measures were aimed at ensuring both timely execution of the project and strengthening security arrangements around the temple complex.Talking about the proposed Ram Katha Sangrahalaya (Ram Katha Museum), a major cultural and interpretative centre being developed as part of the Ram Temple project, Misra said that the conceptual work for the galleries had reached an advanced stage and the narrative framework for the exhibits had largely been completed.“The galleries have already been designed and the scripts are almost complete. The storyline for each gallery — what visitors will see, experience and learn in every section — has largely been written. In simple terms, the narrative that each gallery will tell has been finalized,” he said.The next phase involves developing audio-visual content and video presentations based on these scripts. However, Misra acknowledged that this component of the project was running behind schedule.
