Ayodhya Ram Temple
| Photo Credit: Kavya Pradeep
The Chhattisgarh Assembly witnessed a ruckus on Monday (July 13, 2026) after the Opposition Congress demanded a discussion on the alleged donation theft at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
While the Opposition MLAs said that the issue concerned the faith of a large number of people in the country, including those from Chhattisgarh who had donated money for the temple, the Treasury benches said that the matter was outside the scope of the Assembly’s business.
Leader of the Opposition Charan Das Mahant raised the issue at the beginning of Zero Hour, informing the House that he had submitted an adjournment motion seeking a discussion on the alleged theft of Ram Mandir donations.
“People donated their hard-earned money for the Ram Temple. Their faith and trust have been betrayed,” said Mr. Mahant.
Even as Mr. Mahant was speaking, senior BJP MLA and former Minister Ajay Chandrakar objected, stating that while it was a matter of faith, it was not a matter to be discussed in the Assembly.
The Congress members countered that people from the State had also contributed to the construction of the Temple, making the issue relevant to the State.
The Leader of the Opposition further argued that in 2024, the Assembly had passed a resolution expressing gratitude over the consecration of the Temple in Ayodhya and had discussed the matter in the House. He was also joined by former Chief Minister and Congress MLA Bhupesh Baghel, who alleged that donations made to the temple had been looted, prompting objections from Mr. Chandrakar. The exchange was soon followed by sloganeering by members of both sides.
Assembly Speaker Raman Singh said he had received notices from Congress legislators seeking a discussion on the issue but had rejected them as the matter did not pertain to Chhattisgarh.
Despite the Speaker’s ruling, Congress MLAs continued to demand a discussion, forcing the Chair to adjourn the House for five minutes.
When the House reassembled, the Opposition again raised the issue and displayed posters claiming theft of donations. Amid continuing uproar, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day and listed the remaining business for Tuesday.
Earlier, on the opening day of the five-day Monsoon session, members, including Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Speaker Mr. Singh and Mr. Mahant, paid tributes to Pandvani exponent Teejan Bai, who passed away on July 5.
Published – July 13, 2026 06:07 pm IST
