Ram Temple trust advances key meeting to July 6 as leadership faces crisis
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has moved its next meeting up to July 6, instead of July 11. All 14 members have been asked to be available as the Trust prepares to decide what happens next for General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra. Both have resigned on moral grounds after the donation embezzlement controversy.
The Trust is led by 87-year-old Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, a respected saint from Ayodhya’s Mani Ram Das Ki Chavani. The Trust is under growing pressure to restore its credibility. Moving the meeting earlier shows the urgency to address the fallout from the ongoing police investigation into the alleged siphoning of devotees’ offerings at the Ram Temple.
Champat Rai, a longtime RSS pracharak and VHP leader who has played a key role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, and Anil Mishra resigned a few days after eight trust employees were arrested in the case. Police took Rai’s statement on June 29, in which he reportedly denied any personal involvement and said he acted as soon as he learned of the irregularities. Rai was questioned for more than three hours. So far, no charges have been filed against him or other top trust leaders, but the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is still under investigation due to financial allegations.
The Trust has confirmed it received the resignations and has assured devotees that all donated valuables are safe.
The July 6 meeting is expected to address more than just the resignations. Sources say the Trust will likely discuss ways to make its finances more transparent, possibly reorganise its structure, and consider reforms to prevent future problems. As the investigation now includes bank officials and financial records, the Trust needs to show strong leadership to counter concerns about weak oversight of large donations.
Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, who has been part of the Ayodhya temple community for many years, now has the responsibility of guiding the Trust through this difficult time. At 87, his leadership is symbolic, but this situation is a real test of the organisation’s strength after decades of struggle and public trust.
This development underscores a critical juncture. This situation marks an important turning point. The resignations and the earlier meeting show an effort to manage the crisis, but they also raise bigger questions about how religious trusts handle large public donations.
The way the Trust handles new appointments and accountability on July 6 will determine whether it can regain devotees’ confidence or face ongoing scrutiny that could divert attention from the temple’s spiritual role. Change marks a genuine course correction or merely a symbolic reset.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken a strong stance, saying that police action following the three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) report was based on it, that faith should be protected, and that people should not cast doubt on Ayodhya or Lord Ram. The UP Government quickly filed an FIR and arrested eight members of staff, while the opposition is calling for a CBI investigation into higher-ups.
For an institution so closely tied to national sentiment, swift and transparent action is no longer optional; it is essential, said a senior official.
