Ram Mandir row: Hosabale's statement triggers backlash on RSS X post

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's delayed attempt to contain the fallout from the alleged Ram temple donation scandal appeared to run into resistance from an unexpected quarter on Friday, 3 July, with many users responding to the organisation's statement by demanding accountability from the temple trust rather than blaming what the RSS described as "anti-Hindu and anti-national forces".

In a statement posted on X in English and Hindi, RSS general-secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya had "deeply hurt" the faith of devotees and called for stringent punishment for those found guilty after the ongoing investigation.

While acknowledging that the incident had angered devotees and urging the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust to strengthen financial management and transparency, Hosabale also alleged that "anti-Hindu and anti-national forces" were attempting to exploit the controversy to malign Hindu society.

The statement, however, triggered a stream of critical replies beneath the RSS's official post, with many users arguing that the organisation could not attribute the controversy to external conspiracies when the allegations centred on a trust dominated by figures associated with the Sangh Parivar.

Several users who described themselves as believers in the RSS's ideology or as members of the wider Hindu community said the controversy had damaged the credibility of the organisation. Others drew a distinction between the RSS and the broader Hindu community, insisting that criticism of the trust should not be portrayed as an attack on Hinduism.

"It's RSS & VHP getting maligned & rightly so. Not Hindu Samaj. You aren't equivalent with Hindu Samaj," one user wrote.

"Please drop the illusion that the RSS (@RSSorg) is the sole ठेकेदार of Hindus. RSS does NOT represent real Hindus. It only represents the followers of the Hindutva cult," another added.

Another commenter identifying as an RSS supporter questioned why the organisation had not registered as an NGO if it was handling donations, adding that the current leadership had "made us ashamed".

Other replies accused the RSS leadership of attempting to deflect responsibility by invoking "anti-Hindu forces", arguing instead that the alleged irregularities had occurred under the existing management structure. Several demanded that the investigation be transferred to the CBI or monitored by the Supreme Court, while others called for the dissolution or restructuring of the temple trust.

Some users said the RSS's statement had come too late, while others argued that the organisation's reputation had suffered lasting damage because of the controversy.

The reactions stood in contrast to Hosabale's appeal for patience and restraint. While he described the alleged theft as a deeply painful episode and called for severe punishment of those responsible, many replies focused less on the alleged perpetrators and more on what they saw as failures of accountability within the trust itself.

The RSS statement comes amid mounting scrutiny of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust following allegations of embezzlement of donations and an ongoing Special Investigation Team probe ordered by the Uttar Pradesh government.

With PTI inputs