‘Betrayal of faith’: Opposition attacks BJP
Akhilesh alleges ‘power struggle’ between BJP, UP govt
NEW DELHI: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday accepted the resignation of general secretary Champat Rai amid a probe into alleged fund irregularities, and named Bajrang Bagra as his replacement.
According to media sources, the temple trust has also announced that Bajrang Bagra will replace Rai as the general secretary of the trust, sources said.
Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra submitted their resignations after chief minister Yogi Adityanath took a strong stance about the donation theft and the Special Investigating Team (SIT) looking into the issue had submitted a preliminary report.
The report detailed how the temple staff put in charge of counting the cash donations stole money despite the installation of the CCT cameras, since the footage was not regularly checked. Reports suggest nearly Rs 7-7.5 crore is missing.
One of the eight people arrested in the case is Champat Rai’s driver Ram Shankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav.
Sources said Rai has told his close aides that Tinnu Yadav is the main character in the donation theft case. “Tinnu Yadav took advantage of his trust to carry out the fraud,” Rai has told people close to him.
The Ram temple trust met on Monday to decide on the resignations of its general secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra in the wake of allegations of embezzlement of donations.
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav alleged on Monday that a “power struggle” is occurring between the BJP and the Uttar Pradesh government, claiming that the people’s faith and religious sentiments in Ayodhya are being compromised.
“Our faith and devotion are being toyed with. Everyone knows what is happening, yet they remain silent. The double-engine government (in UP and the Centre) is not functioning collaboratively; instead, it is in conflict. There is a power struggle, and they have no regard for faith or devotion,” he alleged.
He further claimed that those in power had become “blinded by the treasure” and that the dispute reflected a battle for control within the ruling establishment.
Opposition leaders have alleged that massive corruption couldn’t have taken place without the involvement of higher-ups.
Congress demanded that the Supreme Court should take a suo motu cognizance of the case and said that officials at the higher ranks should be held accountable. It questioned the Prime Minister’s silence on the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple and demanded the immediate arrest of those behind the “scam”.
The Congress further sharpened its attack on the government over the alleged irregularities, saying that the funds theft is not merely a “financial scandal” but a “betrayal of faith” as every Indian had donated in the construction of the temple.
Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also launched a fierce attack on the Ram Temple, claiming high-level conspiracies were behind this.
Kejriwal alleged that the resignations, arrests and investigations linked to the alleged “chanda-chori” (donation theft) case at themandir were intended only to “mislead the public”.
“They have now registered a ‘farzi’ FIR and arrested eight low-level employees who merely counted cash,” he alleged.
Uddhav Thackeray said that they have betrayed Hindus and Hindutva and called for a ‘BJP-Mukt Ram’.
“Real Hindutva teaches humanity. We reject your (BJP) Hindutva of looting temples. We want a ‘BJP-mukt Ram’ and Shiv Sena (UBT) will lead such protests,” said Uddhav, as he made remarks in the Yavatmal-Washim Lok Sabha constituency.
The meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust started at 3.15 pm at the guest house inside the Ram Janmabhoomi complex, with seven of the nine permanent members, including Trust chairman Nritya Gopal Das, being present. Rai and Mishra did not attend the meeting.
In a statement issued on Monday, Nritya Gopal Das said he was “deeply pained” by the alleged theft of donations from the Ram Lalla temple and called for the strictest punishment for those responsible.
Expressing confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, he said every person linked to the alleged offence would be brought to justice and asserted that no one should seek political mileage from an issue connected to the faith of millions of Hindus.
Elaborate security arrangements were put in place, with additional police personnel deployed on roads leading to the Ram temple complex. The venue was shifted from Mani Ram Das Chhawani to the temple complex, citing security reasons.
Access for private vehicles, including those of media personnel, has been restricted near the temple complex.
Union government secretary Prashant Lokhande and Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad were expected to join the meeting virtually, sources said.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday said it will respect whatever decision the Trust takes on the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, who belong to the outfit.
The RSS affiliate also said that the ongoing probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple should be allowed to reach its conclusion.
Ahead of the temple trust’s meeting, Govind Dev Giri declined to comment on the allegations surrounding the alleged embezzlement of temple donations. He said that he would address all queries only after the trust meeting concluded.
“I will not say anything now. I am here for four days. I will see you after the meeting and tell you everything,” he told reporters.
Govind Dev Giri had on Sunday said he had no role in the daily collection or counting of offerings at the temple. He asserted that local trustees supervised the process and the trust’s audit records were intact.
An SIT constituted on June 13 to probe the alleged theft of Ram Temple donations had submitted its preliminary report to the state government on June 23, which formed the basis for an FIR and the arrest of eight named people.
Investigators have also recovered deleted CCTV footage that allegedly shows the accused concealing currency notes while taking them out of the temple premises.
While no FIR has been registered against Rai, Mishra, and special invitee Gopal Rao, the Ayodhya lawyers of Faizabad Bar Association have submitted a written police complaint seeking registration of a case against them.
PTI/Agencies