Temple trust accepts resignations of Rai, Mishra

Appoints RSS leader and ex-IFS officer Krishna Mohan as interim general secretary even as probe continues

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday accepted the resignations of its General Secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra following a meeting of its members over allegations of temple donations being embezzled. The three-hour-long meeting, at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex, included seven of the nine permanent members, including trust chairman Nritya Gopal Das. Rai and Mishra were absent. The trust will meet again on July 22, when it expects the Special Investigation Team to submit its final report on the embezzlement.

Trustee, RSS leader and ex-IFS officer, Krishna Mohan has been named interim general secretary after Rai's resignation. The trust has also formed a three-member committee to identify a chief executive officer for the temple. The panel comprises retired judge Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi, and trustee Suresh. Trust treasurer Govind Giri announced after the meeting.

The BJP and the Sangh Parivar, who led the Ram temple movement, are now working to manage the fallout of the controversy. So far, the Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested eight people in connection with the case, most of whom handled or counted donations. None of the trustees is named in the FIR.

Giri called the theft from the temple's donation boxes a source of "deep pain and embarrassment" for the trust. He said the controversy had overshadowed a temple built after many years of struggle and sacrifice.

Defending Rai, Giri said that he "is untainted in my eyes" and praising his "life of sacrifice" for the Ram temple movement. Giri explained that Rai resigned on his own because he believed it was best not to continue as general secretary until the investigation was over and those responsible were held accountable. Senior trustee K Parasaran noted that, according to the trust's constitution, a resignation takes effect as soon as it is submitted, so the trust had to accept it. The trust had no choice in the matter.

Rai, a longtime leader in the RSS and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), helped build the temple and organise the consecration on January 22, 2024. Mishra, a homoeopathic doctor from Ayodhya, has been part of the movement for decades. He served as a trustee and, with his wife, was the Pradhan Yajman (chief host) during the consecration ceremony.

The trust repeated that claims of missing donated items are not true. It said that 2,926 non-cash offerings from devotees have been recorded in registers with full date-wise details and are checked every year by an independent chartered accountant firm acting as the internal auditor.

Interim general secretary Mohan added that the trust is ready to show the records and donated items to anyone who wants to check. He can now choose his own team and will lead efforts to improve transparency and administration.