Pappu Yadav’s Parliament protest over Ram Temple donation theft sparks FIRs and political backlash
On July 31 2026, Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav staged a street‑theatre protest inside the Parliament complex, dressed in saffron robes to symbolise a monk and dramatise the alleged theft of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Temple. He pretended to take money from a donation box and pocket it, while opposition MPs—including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party MPs and others—joined the performance by placing cash in the box. The protest displayed banners demanding Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation and questioning his absence from the House.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat took a strict view of the costume‑based demonstration and Speaker Om Birla expressed displeasure. In response, the BJP, Hindu right‑wing groups and several seers filed multiple FIRs and police complaints at Jehangirpuri and Kotwali police stations, accusing Yadav, Gandhi and other participants of hurting religious sentiments and insulting Sanatan Dharma. The complaints name Pappu Yadav, Rahul Gandhi, Awadhesh Prasad and others.
Opposition leaders say the protest aims to highlight alleged irregularities in the Ram Temple donation process, including missing receipts and deleted CCTV footage, and to press the government for answers. Samajwadi Party MLA Pallavi Patel stressed that the intent was to seek a governmental response, not to offend any religion. The issue is being framed as a key election topic ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled for 2027.
Entities: Amit Shah · Ayodhya Ram Temple · Mallikarjun Kharge · Om Birla · Pallavi Patel · Pappu Yadav · Priyanka Gandhi Vadra · Rahul Gandhi · Rajesh Ranjan (Pappu Yadav) · Ram Temple (Ayodhya) · Samajwadi Party
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Opposition MPs claimed donors at the Ram Temple did not receive receipts and CCTV footage was deleted. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] A police complaint was filed at Jehangirpuri Police Station alleging the protest hurt religious sentiments. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Lok Sabha Secretariat took a strict view of the protest methods. (All articles)
- [DISPUTED] Pappu Yadav staged a skit in Parliament on July 31, 2026 depicting alleged theft of Ram Temple donations. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Rahul Gandhi participated in the skit by placing money into a donation box. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressed displeasure and cautioned against costume‑based protests. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The protest demanded discussion of alleged donation irregularities and the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah. (All articles)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The protest also criticised the police crackdown on student demonstrators during the July 20 “Sansad Chalo” march. (All articles)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The incident is being used by parties ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections scheduled for 2027. (5228d967-dafb-4028-b992-c1ee0aad3815, d9846c41-54e4-4b26-90fb-95ea5dd94157)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Samajwadi Party MLA Pallavi Patel said the protest aimed to demand a government answer, not to offend any religion. (5228d967-dafb-4028-b992-c1ee0aad3815, d9846c41-54e4-4b26-90fb-95ea5dd94157)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Samajwadi Party MLA Kamal Akhtar criticized the BJP for avoiding key issues and called it a contractor of religion. (5228d967-dafb-4028-b992-c1ee0aad3815, d9846c41-54e4-4b26-90fb-95ea5dd94157)
- [DISPUTED] The protest occurred on 31 July and 1 August 2023. (cfc1c2b8-559a-455d-8d13-944deb1d6d24, 09f95a54-0409-477c-82af-822238cd0618, 65ba2d96-9bfd-47b6-8cec-e755688beff4, 3fa92d)