Ram Temple trust confirms Champat Rai's resignation amid donation funds row

THe ram down Temple cartel on sabbatum confirmed that its superior general secretarial assistant Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra have tendered their resignations amid allegations of irregularities in donations, adding that a final call on their decision to step down will be taken at an upcoming meeting.The statement came amid mounting speculation over the future of the two senior trust functionaries following the arrest of eight men — including an aide of Rai and two relatives of Mishra — linked to the temple management. Police have also recovered nearly ₹80 lakh in cash from the homes of the accused.“Resignations have been received from Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Shri Champat Rai Ji and trustee Shri Anil Mishra Ji. The Trust will consider this in its upcoming meeting,” the trust’s treasurer Govind Dev Giri said in a statement issued in Hindi.Also Read | ₹80 lakh seized, trust members quit">Ram Mandir donation row deepens: 8 arrested, ₹80 lakh seized, trust members quitAlthough the trust did not specify when the meeting would be held, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) said it was scheduled for July 7.“It is true that they [Rai and Mishra] submitted their resignations to the president and the treasurer of the trust, taking moral responsibility for the Ram Temple donation row. The trust will address the issue at its July 7 meeting,” news agency PTI quoted VHP chief Alok Kumar as saying. Rai is also the vice-president of the VHP.The allegations of irregularities in the collection of donations for the Ram Temple have snowballed into a major controversy, triggering political slugfests, police action and calls for fixing accountability.Seeking to reassure devotees, the trust said it remained committed to ensuring a fair and transparent investigation. “We are shocked, hurt and deeply saddened by the incidents reported over the past few days… We assure everyone that we will take measures to prevent any such unfortunate situation from arising in the future,” it said.It urged people not to be swayed by “rumours or misinformation” and clarified that the sanctity of the temple remained intact.Also Read | Ram Mandir donation row: How Samajwadi Party leader's post ballooned into raging controversy“We assure everyone that no irreparable damage has occurred to the sanctity of the temple. We request all devotees not to be misled by rumours, misinformation or false propaganda. Such attempts cannot shake Sanatan Dharma, the temple or the faith of millions of devotees,” the statement said.It added, “The trust reassures those bhakts who have personally handed over silver bricks, jewellery, etc...the items are safe and available with proper accounting.”Kumar, meanwhile, said the allegations of theft had shaken people’s trust in the temple management. “It is my understanding that if the matter is investigated quickly, decided in a fast-track court, and those guilty are brought to justice in record time, it would be akin to a healing touch,” PTI quoted him as saying.“I hope we will now have a CEO-type set-up in place to manage the affairs of the Ram Temple along with other trustees,” he added.Opposition continues to put pressure on govtThe political row over the case continued on Saturday as the Opposition sought to corner the BJP government. “Following reports of the theft, the government was compelled to bow to pressure and constitute an SIT. However, the fact that the SIT’s report was submitted to a specific individual raises questions,” Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said. The SIT submitted its preliminary report into the case to Sanjay Prasad, additional chief secretary (home), on June 23.Congress general secretary and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra pushed for accountability. “It’s not just funds that have been given by big corporates. These are funds that have been collected from every citizen. There was a drive to collect them. So who’s responsible? If you collected them, it’s your responsibility to keep them safe,” she said.Responding to the Opposition’s allegations, BJP spokesperson HC Srivastava said leaders “such as Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra” have no moral right to comment on donations or matters linked to devotees’ faith.“The SIT was constituted on the complaint of the trust itself and not under any external pressure. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath acted promptly on the recommendations of SIT. The CM has assured that no one found guilty will be spared. People should wait for the investigation to be completed instead of making politically motivated allegations,” he said.The controversy first surfaced on June 7 when Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan ‘Pawan’ Pandey alleged that donations worth ₹5 crore to ₹7.5 crore were siphoned off from temple offerings.On June 13, the state government set up the SIT at the request of the temple trust. The panel — comprising Lucknow divisional commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant, Lucknow Range inspector-general Kiran S, and special secretary (finance) Neel Ratan — conducted a preliminary inquiry in Ayodhya between June 15 and 20 and flagged prima facie irregularities in the handling of cash and valuables offered by devotees.An FIR was registered against the eight named accused and other unidentified persons under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), relating to offences such as criminal breach of trust, cheating, theft and criminal conspiracy, along with Section 13(1)(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.Those arrested were identified as Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu, a close aide of Rai; Avinash Shukla; Anukalp Mishra; Lavkush Mishra; Subhash Srivastava; Ramashankar Mishra; Manish Yadav; and Karunesh Pandey. Anukalp Mishra and Lavkush Mishra are related to each other and also to Anil Mishra, said another person familiar with the matter.Police are expected to move court seeking custody remand of all eight accused, who are in judicial custody till Monday, to question them in detail about the alleged diversion of donations, trace the money trail, confront them with documentary and electronic evidence, and recover additional cash, valuables and other incriminating material believed to be linked to the alleged embezzlement.