Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust amid the ongoing controversy over the alleged embezzlement of donations meant for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal alleged that financial irregularities dated back to 2021 and cited alleged instances of inflated land purchases by the Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust.”This theft did not just start now; it began back in 2021. There was a massive land scam. A piece of land worth Rs 2 crore was sold to the Temple Trust for Rs 18 crore within 10 minutes. Similarly, land worth Rs 3 crore was purchased for Rs 24 crore, land worth Rs 9 crore was bought for Rs 55 crore, and land worth Rs 14 crore was bought for Rs 95 crore. The documents for these transactions are in the public domain,” he alleged.Kejriwal also alleged irregularities in the award of construction contracts for the temple.”When the temple construction began, it is being reported that engineers stated that a 40 per cent commission was taken on every tender. This is the way they have deceived God,” he alleged.Kejriwal alleged that several valuables donated to the temple had gone missing, emphasising that devotees from across the country, including Goa, had donated to the construction of the temple with deep faith and were now hurt by reports of alleged financial irregularities.”The details emerging are shocking. Lord Ram’s necklace, Lord Ram’s paduka and ornaments have been stolen. The diamonds and jewellery offered by devotees have vanished. Silver bricks, silver lamps and even cash donations have allegedly been stolen. The more details that emerge, the more the faith of the people is being hurt,” he alleged.”The people of Goa are deeply religious. When the Ram Mandir was built, the Hindus and Sanatanis of Goa contributed enthusiastically, offering donations with great devotion for its construction… Now, as reports of scams and the theft of offerings at the Ram Mandir are coming to light, every Sanatani in Goa is profoundly pained,” he added.The Ram Mandir donation embezzlement controversy began after an FIR was registered on June 25 over the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. The Trust has maintained that it is committed to ensuring a fair investigation and to preserving the faith of devotees.According to officials, the case has been filed under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh Government.Those who have been named in the FIR are: Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others. This comes after allegations were made by former SP MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations were misappropriated from the Ram Mandir.On June 29, an Ayodhya court remanded all the accused in the alleged donation embezzlement case to 14-day judicial custody following an intensive investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving temple donations.Earlier, former Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility for the controversy. The police have since recorded Champat Rai’s statement, while statements of other senior Trust office-bearers, including Anil Mishra, may be recorded if required during the course of the investigation.