Ram Mandir embezzlement row: 'Played in the name of Hindutva, tarnished Lord Ram's name,' says TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, slams BJP

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the BJP over the recent controversies surrounding the alleged donation embezzlement in Ayodhya's Ram Mandir, accusing those in power of defaming Lord Ram and failing millions of devotees.

Addressing a press conference in Kolkata on Saturday, Banerjee said, "Today the name of lord Ram has been tarnished; you (BJP) played in the name of Hindutva and finished Hinduism. There is no clear direction, though they certainly want the donation boxes. Such rampant exploitation in just two months. All I would like to say is: please run the government properly."

Her remarks come amid an ongoing probe into an alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Mandir trust in Ayodhya, where police have made several arrests. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been granted a 15-day extension to complete its investigation. The extension has been given to enable the SIT to widen the scope of its probe and conduct a comprehensive inquiry into all aspects of the case.


Read More: Shiv Sena (UBT) demands Ram Temple Trust be scrapped over donation row

On the NEET 2026 controversy, former West Bengal CM said, "There is a lot of chaos surrounding the NEET exam, yet no real solution has emerged."

The NEET-UG exam, meanwhile, has been the source of criticism for the Centre over an alleged paper leak. The high-stakes re-examination for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 concluded across the country and 14 destinations abroad, even as the process remained under the shadow of the paper leak controversy.