Nripendra Mishra, chairman of the Ram temple construction committee, on Tuesday denied that rainwater had leaked into the newly built temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

“First, I would like to make one thing clear. It is important because some news publications have carried written that there was leakage of rainwater which seeped onto the sanctum sanctorum and other places [in the Ram temple],” Mishra was seen saying in Hindi in a PTI video.

“There was nothing of the sort, I have inspected it myself and after the inspection it was clear that there was no water in the sanctum sanctorum,” he added.

Nripendra Mishra. PTI picture.

On Tuesday night, PTI had filed an article quoting acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of Ram Janmabhoomi temple, as saying on Monday that water was leaking from the roof of the sanctum sanctorum after the first heavy showers since the temple was opened to the public.

The Telegraph Online had carried the PTI article.

The news agency had also quoted Das as alleging negligence in the construction of the temple.

“Das claimed that there was also no arrangement for the drainage of rainwater from the temple premises after the showers on Saturday midnight. He urged the temple authorities to take cognisance of the problem and take necessary corrective measures,” the PTI report on Monday night had said.