New Delhi : Days after the alleged theft and embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir sparked outrage and raised questions over the functioning of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has distanced itself from the actions of former Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and called for a comprehensive investigation into the case.
Our role is over. It is not the job of the VHP anywhere in the country to construct temples or run them. The Trust is responsible for the temple’s administration and whatever happens within the Trust is its responsibility, Kumar said, adding that it would be inappropriate to hold the VHP, the RSS or the government accountable for the Trust’s functioning. Champat Rai, who was closely associated with the VHP before becoming General Secretary of the Trust, resigned on moral grounds following allegations of financial irregularities and concerns over the functioning of senior Trust officials.
Rejecting demands that the VHP should be held accountable because of Rai’s long association with the organisation, Kumar reiterated that the Trust has functioned independently since the Supreme Court verdict that paved the way for the construction of the Ram temple. Kumar maintained that responsibility for the temple’s administration rested solely with the Trust. Recalling the period following the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict, he said the VHP had made it clear that it would neither build nor manage the temple after the Trust was constituted.
Kumar said Champat Rai himself had volunteered to be questioned and emphasised that the Trust had sought a probe extending beyond those already arrested. As the investigation gathers pace, attention has shifted to whether the SIT uncovers a wider chain of accountability beyond the eight arrested individuals. The findings could pave the way for further legal action, additional resignations or administrative reforms within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
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