Trust accepted ‘chanda chori’ reports by taking Champat Rai’s resignation: Congress

NEW DELHI, July 6: The Congress on Monday said that by accepting the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has effectively accepted that the “chanda chori” reports were true, and demanded a Supreme Court-supervised probe into the donation theft row at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Stating that the country deserves complete dissolution and overhaul of the Trust, Congress leader Pawan Khera said accountability should not end with the Trust and it must extend to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who constituted the Trust, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who allowed this “loot” to go on without any scrutiny.
“By accepting the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, the Ram Mandir Trust has effectively accepted that ‘Chanda Chori’ reports that have horrified the nation for the past month are indeed true,” Khera said in a post on X.
The temple trust on Monday accepted the resignations of Champat Rai as its general secretary and Anil Mishra as its member, in the wake of embezzlement of donations offered at the Ram temple.
Trustee Krishna Mohan has been named interim general secretary of the Trust.
Khera said it is welcome news that the “sacred Mandir of Lord Ram is finally being rid of those who have been looting it for years”.
“But that is nowhere near enough,” he said.
“It is absurd that this announcement came from the treasurer of the Trust â?” the very person responsible for overseeing its finances, ensuring transparency, and safeguarding its assets,” Khera said.
The treasurer cannot wash his hands of responsibility, nor can any other member of the Trust, under whose watch this “mega racket” flourished for years, he added.
“The absurdity does not end there. Krishna Mohan, the eastern Uttar Pradesh incharge of the RSS, has been handed the charge of general secretary of the Ram Mandir Trust despite serious reports about his own role in trying to cover the scam. Instead of being rewarded with greater responsibility, he should have been thrown out of the Trust,” the Congress leader said.
“The country does not need piecemeal resignations. It deserves a complete dissolution and overhaul of the Trust, and every one of its members must face an independent, Supreme Court-supervised investigation.
“Accountability should also not end with the Trust. It must also extend to Narendra Modi, who constituted the Trust and appointed many of its members; to the Yogi Adityanath administration, which allowed this loot and dacoity to persist for years without effective scrutiny; and to the RSS-VHP mafia, which has exploited the name of Lord Ram to enrich itself at the expense of crores of Indians for decades,” Khera said.
The Trust, after its meeting on Monday, announced the formation of a three-member committee to identify a chief executive officer (CEO) for the temple trust.
The panel comprises retired judge Pramod Kohli, retired lieutenant general Vishnukant Chaturvedi and trustee Suresh Haware, Trust treasurer Govind Giri said after the three-hour meeting.
The meeting was convened to discuss the fallouts of the donation theft row that sparked widespread outrage and a political firestorm, with the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, which led the Ram temple movement, grappling to control the damage. (PTI)