Lucknow, June 27 -- Allegations of irregularities in the collection of donations to the Ram Temple snowballed into a major controversy on Friday after the arrest of eight men connected to the temple management, the recovery of nearly Rs.80 lakh from seven of them and a buzz about the resignation of two prominent members of the temple trust.

The developments came a day after the Uttar Pradesh Police lodged a first information report (FIR) on a complaint by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in connection with the allegations, naming an aide of the trust's general secretary Champat Rai and seven others.

Speculation was rife that Rai and prominent trust member Anil Mishra resigned on Friday. While a UP government source mentione...