New Delhi: Pushed onto the backfoot by the scandalous pilferage of donation money at the Ram Mandir, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has dusted off its favorite textbook for poll-bound Uttar Pradesh: escalating communal rhetoric and projecting its rivals as pro-Muslim.The misappropriation of donation funds at the Ayodhya temple points to gross financial corruption and administrative failure. Above all, it raises critical questions about the political accountability of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates, who practically managed the temple and the movement for its construction at the site where the Mughal-era Babri Masjid stood till December 6, 1992.However, rather than providing clear-cut answers to the public lingering over the theft of donations at the temple, the ruling party has unleashed a fierce counter-offensive against its political opponents. Crucially, this campaign avoids questions of transparency and accountability. Instead, it downplays the seriousness of the corruption while discrediting critics as “Ramdrohi” (anti-Ram) and ‘pro-Muslim’.This aggressive stance coincides with BJP national president Nitin Nabin’s maiden organisational visit to Lucknow on July 5 after assuming leadership of the party. Although the UP assembly elections are scheduled for early next year, the incumbent has already kickstarted its campaign in the high-stakes state, where it has comfortably won the last two terms.BJP national president Nitin Nabin lays out a clear roadmap to counter Ayodhya controversyNabin laid out a clear roadmap for his party to counter the unfolding controversy in Ayodhya. He hailed the BJP, RSS, and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) as the true leaders of the Ram Mandir movement and protectors of the Hindu faith, while labeling Opposition leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Akhilesh Yadav, and Rahul Gandhi as “anti-Hindu forces” who routinely insult the community. He accused them of trying to exploit the Ayodhya issue for political gain – “rajnitaik roti sekna.”“Don’t consider Hindu Dharma so weak that they will fall into your traps or be easily misled,” Nabin said at the Shakti Kendra Sanyojak Sammelan in Lucknow.Taking his cue from Nabin, chief minister Adityanath has similarly upped the ante, leaving no stone unturned to polarise the electorate. From namaaz and cow slaughter to Babur, Waqf land, Kanwad Yatra, and graveyards, Adityanath has deployed maximum deflection tactics to force the public focus back onto Muslims.The murky details of the Ayodhya donation controversy, along with the uncomfortable questions it raises about senior Sangh leaders, have compelled the BJP to drastically alter its narrative. The party is now desperately trying to reclaim its spot as the self-appointed custodian of Hindu sentiments by discrediting its rivals for asking questions about financial impropriety and mismanagement.During five government events in Sultanpur, Chitrakoot, Pratapgarh, Banda and Ayodhya on July 7, 8, 9 and 10, Adityanath raked up several communally polarising themes to target Opposition parties, particularly the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP). Pejoratively referring to them as “secular,” Adityanath alleged that both parties were running a malicious campaign to defame Ayodhya Dham and the Ram Mandir, launching a direct “assault” on the Hindu faith.According to Adityanath, the Opposition has no right to question the theft of donation money because they are not “Ram bhakts” (devotees of Ram). He accused them of “blowing an incident out of proportion” to humiliate Hindus.While a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Adityanath government submitted a preliminary report, leading to a First Information report (FIR) and criminal action against eight individuals, the BJP has remained largely silent on broader questions of institutional and political accountability: Why was no action taken by the SIT against members of the Ram Temple Trust, given that they hold ultimate administrative responsibility for internal temple activities? Why was the FIR lodged by a member of the Trust itself rather than the probing SIT, even though the Trust and its members were officially under the scanner of an open investigation?Why did the state government not recommend a probe by a central agency (like the CBI), as demanded by various quarters within the saffron camp, to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure credibility? Why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi silent on the issue? The BJP has repeatedly credited Modi for the temple’s realisation, and it was Modi himself who presided over both the foundation-laying ceremony and the high-profile Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Why has Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Trust, failed to publicly clear the air regarding the specific allegations against him after initially dismissing them? How can a party that has sought votes in the name of Ram for decades explain such malpractice and corruption at the most heavily politicised temple in the country?While these questions remain unanswered, the BJP has instead focused on invoking the historical grievances of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement to project itself as the sole defender of Hindu interests. Adityanath has attempted to claim credit for initiating the SIT probe, stating simply: “It was a theft, and timely action was taken.”In his Lucknow address, Nabin also invoked his father’s role as a karsevak during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement to emphasize the RSS-BJP’s deep personal connection to the shrine. Both Nabin and Adityanath have effectively deflected attention toward older, irrelevant issues explicitly designed to rake up communal passions.‘Graveyards, Ram Setu, Waqf, Mughal’To distract voters from the financial scandal, these are some of the issues the Adityanath-led BJP is talking about in the build up to the election:Boundary Walls of Graveyards: Adityanath resurrected the issue of Muslim graveyards (qabristans), a trope first popularised by PM Modi during the 2017 assembly election campaign. At the time, Modi claimed the SP government built boundary walls for Muslim graveyards but neglected Hindu cremation grounds (shamshan ghat). Speaking in Sultanpur on July 7, Adityanath alleged that funds meant for Hindu holy sites were diverted by the previous SP government to build graveyard walls, while his own administration was using the same funds for temple beautification.The 1990 Firing on Karsevaks: Referring to the killing of karsevaks under the rule of Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1990, Nabin made the exaggerated claim that “rivers of blood flowed in Ayodhya,” asserting that the SP “carries a legacy of firing bullets at Hindus.”The Ram Setu Controversy: Both leaders referenced a 2007 affidavit filed – later withdrawn – in the Supreme Court by the Archaeological Survey of India under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime during hearings on declaring Ram Setu a national monument. The ASI had stated there was no historical or scientific evidence to establish the existence of Ram or Ram Setu as a man-made bridge. Adityanath and Nabin argued that this proved Congress viewed Ram as “fictional.”Cow Slaughter: Adityanath questioned why the Opposition’s Hindu sentiments were absent when illegal slaughterhouses flourished and cows were slaughtered and sold to cattle smugglers under previous regimes.Religious Festivals: The chief minister alleged that under the SP government, the Kanwad Yatra was frequently banned, riots were engineered right before Durga Puja, and Krishna Janmashtami celebrations were barred inside police station premises.Waqf Land Properties: Adityanath questioned why the Opposition never spoke out against the alleged illegal occupation of thousands of acres of government land under the guise of Waqf, pointing out their resistance to the recent Waqf Amendment Bill. “They want the loot in the name of Waqf to continue… while temples are defamed,” he asserted.Mughal: Adityanath alleged that today’s socialists (Samajwadis) consider Babur and Aurangzeb – not Ram and Krishna – as their icons. He also mocked the Muslim community’s delay in constructing a mosque at the alternative 5 acres site in Ayodhya provided by the 2019 Supreme Court verdict. “For the past six years, there has been no trace of the Babri dhancha (structure). They are simply unable to build it anywhere.”Defining a “Ram Bhakt”: Adityanath argued that only true Ram bhakts have the right to claim their religious sentiments were hurt by the corruption case. “Since when have you become a Ram bhakt?” he asked Opposition leaders.Conspiracy Claims: Adityanath accused his rivals of raking up the issue solely for electoral gains, calling it a “devious tactic” to defame the country, create a negative atmosphere, and insult the Hindu Sanatan faith because they cannot digest the BJP’s achievements of preserving Hindu cultural heritage and progress of UP.Namaaz and Hanuman Chalisa: Apparently referring to an incident from 2003, Adityanath has alleged that “they had tried to hold namaaz” at the stairs of the Hanumangarhi Temple in Ayodhya. “Imagine, can anyone do Hanuman Chalisa paath at the Jama Masjid? Can any government allow it ? Can SP-Congress allow it? If they cannot, then why did they commit this sin of namaaz on the stairs of the Hanumangarhi?”In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP suffered a major jolt when it lost the Faizabad constituency (which encompasses Ayodhya) just months after the grand opening of the Ram Mandir. Overall, the BJP’s tally in UP plummeted, losing 43 seats and retaining just 36 out of 80. Four decades after the Ayodhya movement fundamentally transformed the political landscape of India’s most politically-significant state, the town on the banks of the Ghagra (Saryu) looks set to dominate the conversation ahead of the 2027 polls. This time, however, the saffron party is backed into a corner.Omar Rashid is an independent journalist.