Seers from Ayodhya gave a call on Saturday not to involve any bureaucrat in the functioning of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Police on Thursday arrested eight people in connection with the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said on Saturday that its general secretary, Champat Rai, and member Anil Mishra have resigned from their posts, while asserting that a fair inquiry will be conducted into allegations related to the temple donations.
Addressing a gathering here, senior Ayodhya-based seer Mithilesh Nandini Sharan said, “The biggest establishment of corruption is the bureaucracy. So no one attached to this establishment must enter the Ram temple trust.
“(Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath should take cognisance that the Ram temple trust must have representation of seers from different sects. Appointing any bureaucrat as the CEO of the trust will not be a wise decision as it will hurt the sentiments of seers,” he said.
Supporting Sharan’s call, another seer from Ayodhya, Mahant Dharam Das, who fought the legal battle for the Ram temple since 1950, told reporters, “The Ram temple trust should be run by seers. We will not tolerate the entry of the bureaucracy in religious matters.” Asked to comment on the resignation of Rai and Mishra, former Hindu litigant in the Ayodhya dispute case Mahant Dharam Das told PTI Videos, “Who is Govind Giri? What has he done that he has been kept in the (Ram temple) trust? All these trusts are corrupt.”
Asked what could be the possible solution to this, Das said, “Good and pious arrangements should be made in the temple. All the work should be handled by seers. The mandir work should not be handled by regular people. Seers will do the temple work and there will not be a theft of even a paise.” Jagadguru Paramhans Acharya, peethadhishwar of the Tapasvi Chhavni in Ayodhya, told PTI Videos, “I believe that Champat Rai is honest. He should be retained (in the trust).” He said the allegations being levelled by the opposition are baseless. “Various teams were formed and the investigations found Rai to be innocent. He has not misappropriated even a single rupee. Therefore, all the seers of Ayodhya and the entire country want Rai to continue in his position,” he added.
Sita Ram Das, peethadhishwar of Saket Bhavan, told PTI Videos, “The treasurer (Govind Dev Giri) should himself tender resignation, because all the responsibility lies with him. The embezzlement of the donations made to Ram Lalla is condemnable.”
A statement issued by Giri said the trust has received the two resignations and will decide on those at its next meeting. The trustees are “shocked” by the developments and are duty-bound to ensure that a fair inquiry is conducted and the faith of the devotees is restored, Giri said.