LUCKNOW, July 6 -- The alleged embezzlement of devotees' offerings at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has opened an unexpected political front in Uttar Pradesh-a battle over who owns the Ayodhya narrative. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has moved swiftly by ordering a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe and promising strict action, seeking to ensure the controversy does not slip into the opposition's hands ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.

Yogi's swift intervention has allowed him to apparently seize the political initiative, even as the alleged embezzlement threatens to snowball into a controversy that could hand the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress fresh ammunition against the ruling BJP.

While the SIT probe may take time to est...