Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has raised pointed questions about the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case, arguing that the individuals named in the FIR do not have the means to have siphoned off such a large sum on their own. He insisted that the investigation must reach those at higher levels as well.
Why Are the Bigger Players Untouched?
The Shankaracharya made clear that a financial irregularity of this scale could not have been carried out by junior-level employees alone. He said that if the alleged embezzlement is as significant as claimed, those in senior positions must also come under scrutiny. Filing FIRs only against small-level individuals, he argued, simply is not enough.
The Trust Was Built at the Prime Minister's Office's Initiative
Avimukteshwaranand noted that the Ram Mandir Trust was established at the initiative of the Prime Minister's Office, and that the selection of its members followed through the same process. Key decisions related to the Trust's operations and the temple's construction were also taken within that very framework. Given this, he said, a truly impartial investigation is essential and no one should be shielded from it.
Questions Over How the SIT Was Formed
He also raised objections to the manner in which the Special Investigation Team was constituted. According to Avimukteshwaranand, the normal procedure in any case is for an investigation to begin first, after which an SIT is formed. In this case, however, the SIT was announced and widely publicized before any investigation process had been clearly laid out, something he found irregular and suspicious.
BJP Membership Is Not Proof of Citizenship
The Shankaracharya also commented on the association being drawn between BJP membership and Indian citizenship. He said an atmosphere is being created in the country where holding a BJP membership card is treated as equivalent to proof of citizenship.
Demand for the Cow to Be Declared 'State Mother'
He also directed pointed remarks at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the question of cow protection. Avimukteshwaranand said that if the government genuinely holds reverence for the cow, it must formally grant the cow the status of "state mother." Devotion to the cow, he said, cannot remain limited to words alone.
