Holy Funds Under Fire: Badrinath Dham Faces Donation Theft Probe After Ayodhya

Close on the heels of a major donation theft scandal at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, another revered pilgrimage site, Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand, is now facing similar serious allegations. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has quickly launched a high-level inquiry into claims of offerings being stolen or misused, taking these accusations, which spread widely on social media, very seriously. BKTC President Hemant Dwivedi confirmed that an inquiry committee has been set up to investigate the matter thoroughly. This new controversy mirrors the ongoing troubles at the Ayodhya Ram Temple, where allegations of crores of rupees in donations being stolen have led to a police Special Investigation Team (SIT) making arrests and recovering some funds. The Ayodhya scandal even saw high-profile resignations, including Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, who stepped down taking moral responsibility. The opposition, particularly Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, has used these incidents to accuse the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of corruption within temple trusts. For Badrinath, the newly formed inquiry committee will meticulously check available evidence, review CCTV footage, and record statements from concerned employees to get to the bottom of these financial irregularity claims. BKTC has already issued show-cause notices to employees linked to the matter and promised strict legal and departmental action if any wrongdoing is found. With millions of devotees' faith at stake, the committee is urging the public to avoid spreading unverified information and assured full transparency once the investigation concludes.