23 Resignations After Security Crackdown at Ayodhya Ram Temple: Coincidence Or Consequence?
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has tightened security around temple donations by introducing mandatory police verification, pocketless clothing and a dedicated donation-counting team. However, the sudden resignation of 23 employees responsible for handling donations at the same time has raised fresh questions: Did they leave on their own, or were they effectively pushed out after the security overhaul?
Security Overhaul Follows Donation Theft Probe
The trust has introduced stricter rules for employees handling donations after the alleged embezzlement case at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple.
Only a specially designated team will now count cash collected from donation boxes. Staff assigned to the task must wear clothes without pockets, while police-verified character certificates have also been made mandatory.
23 Employees Quit — But Questions Remain
Shortly after the new measures were introduced, 23 employees involved in donation counting submitted their resignations through the private agency that employed them.
While reports describe the resignations as voluntary, the timing has prompted speculation over whether the employees resigned on their own or felt compelled to leave following the trust's stricter verification and security protocols.
Neither the trust nor the contracting agency has publicly clarified whether the resignations were voluntary or whether employees were asked to step down.
Also read: Ayodhya Ram Mandir theft: No accused is a trustee, all 8 outsourced workers
Pocketless Clothes, Police Verification Made Mandatory
Under the revised guidelines, only a specially designated team of employees will be allowed to count cash collected from the temple's donation boxes.
Employees assigned to the task will now be required to wear clothes without pockets to minimise the possibility of theft or concealment of cash during the counting process.
The trust has also made police-verified character certificates mandatory for employees involved in temple operations, strengthening background verification procedures.
Housekeeping Staff Removed From Donation Counting
Earlier, housekeeping employees were also assigned to assist in counting donations. Under the new system, they will return to their original housekeeping responsibilities, while a dedicated team will exclusively handle donation counting under enhanced security protocols.
SIT Probe Still Underway
The security overhaul comes as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues investigating the alleged theft of devotees' donations.
The Uttar Pradesh government recently extended the SIT probe by 15 days. Former trust general secretary Champat Rai resigned after the investigation began, while several arrests have already been made in connection with the alleged embezzlement.
