Kejriwal prays at Ayodhya's Ram Mandir amid donation row, says bigger players protected: ‘FIR just eyewash’

AAP subject convenor Arvind Kejriwal on fri termed the fir tree filed in connectedness with the alleged defalcation of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya a "sham", alleging that the investigation was targeting only junior employees while shielding those higher up in the chain.Kejriwal made the remarks after offering prayers at Hanumangarhi temple during his visit to Ayodhya along with Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP and Uttar Pradesh in-charge Sanjay Singh."I prayed that whoever is guilty of this 'maha paap' should receive the strictest possible punishment from God," the former Delhi chief minister said, referring to the alleged theft of donations at the temple. Calling the FIR an "eyewash", Kejriwal said the alleged scam could not have continued for such a long time without the involvement of senior officials or influential figures."Eight low-level employees have been arrested in this case. This scam had been going on for such a long time. It is obvious that junior employees alone could not have carried out such activities for so long. The links of this scam go much higher up, but there is an attempt to shield the big people while placing the entire blame on the heads of these small employees," he said.Kejriwal, who was accompanied by Sanjay Singh and party workers during the visit, also offered prayers at the Ram temple amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged embezzlement of donations.What is the Ayodhya Ram temple donation row?The controversy erupted earlier this month after allegations surfaced that crores of rupees in donations made by devotees at the Ram temple had been siphoned off or embezzled. The allegations gained traction after cash was allegedly recovered from the residence of a temple employee in Ayodhya, prompting calls for an independent investigation.The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust denied any wrongdoing but sought a probe into the allegations. Following the request, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 14 to examine the matter.Police case against eight after SIT reportThe FIR was registered on June 25 at the Ram Janmabhoomi police station on the complaint of trust member Krishna Mohan, two days after the SIT submitted its preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh government recommending criminal action in the case. Eight persons named in the FIR have since been arrested by the police.The case has been registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to criminal breach of trust, cheating and conspiracy.BJP defends probeReacting to the controversy, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak said the government had taken the matter seriously and assured strict action against anyone found guilty."The government has taken the entire matter seriously. An FIR has been registered. Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty," Pathak said.BJP MP Dinesh Sharma also defended the probe, saying the trust itself had approached the police and sought legal action."Even before the opposition could have said what they are saying, the trust itself filed its own FIR. An SIT was formed. Eight people were arrested. There couldn't have been a fairer and more transparent action than what the government is carrying out," Sharma said.The SIT's interim findings also recommended the appointment of a chief executive officer for the temple administration, weekly audits of donations and stricter record-keeping mechanisms to improve transparency in handling devotees' offerings.