The moral unravelling of the Ayodhya Ram Temple project, brought to a head by allegations of systemic donation embezzlement and the subsequent resignation of key Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust leaders, is probably the biggest challenge for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in decades. The crisis strikes at the core of the organisation’s moral authority, especially as it is widely seen to wield direct political power and vast financial and resource heft without accountability.The Wire’s Founding Editor M.K. Venu discusses recent developments surrounding the alleged siphoning of devotee’s donations from the temple with senior journalist and author Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.