Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh: On June 30, 2026, a press conference that had been called upon by Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Sewa Samiti in Ayodhya, in connection with the alleged theft of funds as well as the lack of cooperation by the Ram Mandir Trust (Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust) on certain issues, was cancelled. The press conference, which had been announced on June 29 through a press note, was scheduled to take place at Arundhati Bhawan in Ayodhya’s Tedhi Bazar area at 1 pm. Police deployed at Tedhi Bazar chauraha in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Photo: Akanksha Kumar.On Tuesday, the police booth near Arundhati Bhawan at the Tedhi Bazar chauraha (also known as the Nishadraj chauraha), which leads towards Ram Path where the main entrance gate of Ram Mandir is located roughly two km away, saw a heavy police presence. The area comes under the jurisdiction of the Ram Janmbhoomi Police Station.A police official at the Ram Janmbhoomi police station, who didn’t want to be identified, confirmed to The Wire that the event had been cancelled and refused to comment further on the reasons behind the decision.Also read: UP Congress Chief Ajay Rai Placed Under House Arrest Before Visit to Ayodhya Ram TempleWhen asked about the larger-than-usual presence of police near Tedhi Bazar chauraha, the police official further told this reporter, “Following a call by [Congress leader] Ajay Rai to visit Ayodhya, this has been done in order to ensure maintenance of law and order, and to make sure that devotees on this road are not inconvenienced in any manner.”Arundhati Bhawan in Tedhi Bazar area. Photo: Akanksha Kumar.As reported earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress unit chief, Rai, had been placed under house arrest at a hotel in Ayodhya, ahead of a visit by the party delegation to the Ram Mandir, amid the fund theft allegations. In another press note, dated June 30, 2026, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Sewa Samiti stated: “This is to inform all the media personnel that due to certain reasons, the press conference has been cancelled. The Samiti will put forth its views at the appropriate time.”The earlier press note, issued by the Sewa Samiti, dated June 29, had stated that “we are saddened by the loot by those entrusted with counting and management of money, ornaments and other valuables received by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomo Teerth Kshetra Trust.”Speaking to The Wire on phone, general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Sewa Samiti, Achyut Shankar Shukla, said: “We didn’t get requisite permission at Arundhati Bhawan from the administration. We then tried holding the press conference at Shane Avadh hotel [in Faizabad]. There too, permission wasn’t granted, so we cancelled the event.”Also read: Lal Das’ Legacy: A Dissenting Voice From Within Ayodhya’s Ram Janmabhoomi Movement“We will hand over a memorandum from our side addressed to the Prime Minister through the district magistrate in a day or two,” he added.The Samiti, registered in 1949, had Thakur Gurudutt Singh among its presidents. As city magistrate of Faizabad, he had refused for the Ram Lalla idol to be removed from inside the Babri Masjid. The Samiti also used to organise certain festivals such as Ram Navmi, Prakatya Utsav and Ram Lila on Dussehra among others. These have been discontinued ever since the disputed area was taken over by the Union government and Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust came into existence.When asked whether any member of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Sewa Samiti had been kept under house arrest prior to the press conference, Shukla denied such speculation and told this reporter, “Some policemen did come to our house. We handed over the press release, and they went away.”