Congress leader Alok Sharma slammed the Modi govt over the Ram Mandir donation row, stating the trust is a BJP/RSS affiliate. He termed the embezzlement a ‘dacoity’ in Lord Ram’s court and demanded that the government reveal the names involved.
Amidst the ongoing Ram Mandir donation embezzlement row, Congress leader Alok Sharma on Monday stated that 12 out of 15 members of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust were appointed by the Narendra Modi government, which naturally proves that it is affiliated with the BJP and RSS. He said that the government must reveal the name involved in the “dacoity”.
Speaking to ANI, he demanded answers from the BJP regarding the matter, highlighting the “theft” and “dacoity” that has taken place in Lord Ram’s “court”. “The Trust was entirely established by PM Modi. It was created by the government. Of the 15 members, 12 were nominated by the government, so naturally, they belong to the BJP and RSS. Now that questions are being raised, answer them. Reveal who was involved in the dacoity. Do not try to shield the thieves. This theft occurred in Lord Ram’s court; a dacoity took place in Lord Ram’s home. Do not display such shamelessness that you are left with no chance to recover,” said Alok Sharma.
Meanwhile, former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam said the trust of many people has been shattered due to the Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case. He noted that the issue goes beyond just one or two individuals.
Internal Turmoil and Calls for Resignation
A statement and a letter from the revered Nritya Gopal Das Ji Maharaj were released today; a day or two prior, a letter from the revered Swami Govind Dev Giri Ji was also issued. He observed, “Reading these letters, it appears as though they were completely in the dark and are deeply hurt. Consequently, a question mark now hangs over the credibility of the entire Trust. Revered Govind Giri Ji states that he is unaware of the situation, and having read the letter from revered Nritya Gopal Das Ji today, one can sense the deep mistrust that has taken root within the Trust.”
“The trust of millions has been shattered. Given these circumstances, all office-bearers of the Trust ought to step down from their positions until the investigation is concluded. We await the final decision,” the Congress leader added.
Trust Convenes High-Level Meeting
A crucial meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust commenced in Ayodhya on Monday to deliberate on the fallout of alleged financial irregularities and the embezzlement of temple offerings. President of the Trust, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, arrived at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex to preside over the high-level meeting.
Nritya Gopal Das had earlier today in a letter stated that he is deeply pained by the alleged theft of offerings from the Ram Mandir, but said has full faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He added that no one should politicise this matter.
Resignations and Meeting Agenda
Sanjay Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) of Uttar Pradesh, attended the meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust via video conferencing.
According to sources, the meeting has been specifically convened to discuss the resignation offers made by the Trust’s General Secretary, Champat Rai, and member Anil Mishra. The move follows serious allegations regarding the misappropriation of donations and offerings made by devotees to the Ram Temple.
The trust comprises 14 members including President Nritya Gopal Das, Vasudevanand Saraswati, Vishwaprasannatirth, Parmanand Giri, Treasurer Govind Dev Giri, Krishna Mohan, Dinendra Das, Prashant Lokhande, Sanjay Prasad, Shashank Tripathi, Nripendra Mishra and K. Parasaran. Trustees Champat Rai and Anil Mishra have resigned, citing moral responsibility over allegations of misappropriation of temple donations.
Trustees expected to attend today’s meeting include Treasurer Govind Dev Giri, Vishwaprasannatirth, Swami Parmanand Giri, Jagadguru Vasudevanand Saraswati, Krishna Mohan, Anil Mishra and General Secretary Champat Rai, sources said. Ex-officio members District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi, Central Government representative Prashant Lokhande and Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Mishra are also expected to be present. Trust member K Parasaran is expected to attend the meeting through video conferencing, sources said.
Political Standoff and Legal Challenge
The meeting comes as the controversy has triggered a sharp political confrontation, with Opposition parties demanding a probe while the BJP accuses them of targeting the Hindu faith.
Meanwhile, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court is also scheduled to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) on Monday seeking a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in donations offered at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. A division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjeev Shukla will hear the PIL, which was filed on June 12. The petition seeks a CBI investigation into allegations of theft and irregularities involving donations collected through the temple’s donation boxes. It also seeks an audit of the temple’s donations by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
(ANI)
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