Arvind Kejriwal dismisses Ram Temple donation scam SIT as legally invalid
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday, June 25, 2026, dismissed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Ram Temple donation scam as legally invalid and an "eyewash" designed to protect powerful people. Speaking to reporters at the Lucknow airport en route to Ayodhya, Kejriwal raised concerns over the alleged theft of temple donations.
The former Delhi Chief Minister, who was received by hundreds of party workers at the airport, questioned the legal basis of the probe. He pointed out the absence of a First Information Report (FIR) despite evidence of theft.
"In this case, donations worth billions of rupees have allegedly been stolen, some money has even been recovered, yet no FIR has been registered," Kejriwal said. He argued that under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), an SIT can only be constituted after an FIR is registered, questioning the law under which this specific team was formed.
Kejriwal claimed that the SIT has no power to conduct an investigation and called it a fraud designed to throw dust in people's eyes and cover up the entire matter.
The AAP leader expressed deep distress over the alleged theft of valuables and cash donated to the grand temple. He alleged that diamonds, precious stones, ₹200 crore in cash, and 200 kilograms of silver offered by devotees had been stolen. Kejriwal stated that this distress prompted his visit to Ayodhya, where he plans to visit the Ram Temple and Hanumangarhi to offer prayers.
Earlier on Thursday, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh appeared before the SIT probing the alleged scam and submitted documents that he claimed contained evidence of corruption.
The Uttar Pradesh Government had constituted the SIT on June 13, following a request from the temple trust after allegations of malfeasance surfaced. On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant submitted the team's preliminary inquiry report to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad, who serves as an ex officio member of the trust.
