Bhopal, Jun 18 (PTI) Mounting financial irregularities and allegations of missing donation funds at the Ayodhya-based Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust have triggered severe political fallout, with senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Thursday expressing shock over the alleged corruption.
The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister stated that millions of devotees, who financially supported the Ram temple’s construction, feel deeply let down by the recent controversy.
“All of us who donated for the Ram temple are surprised and shocked by the kind of corruption that is allegedly taking place there,” Singh told reporters.
During his interaction with the press, Singh, who is known for making controversial remarks, claimed that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar continues to serve as a member of the trust.
However, a review of the official website of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust indicates that CEC Kumar is not currently listed as a member of the 15-trustee panel.
While Kumar, a retired IAS officer, was heavily involved in coordinating the administrative setup of the trust during his prior tenure as an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, he does not hold an active seat on the board.
The matter of alleged financial irregularities in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust surfaced on June 7 when Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, citing media reports, claimed that crores of rupees donated to the Ram temple had gone missing. He urged the court to take cognisance of the matter.
Subsequently, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 13, at the request of the trust, to probe allegations of theft of donation funds and financial mismanagement.
According to the state government, the trust sought a fair investigation to ascertain facts and examine attempts to tarnish the image of the Ram temple.
The SIT questioned trust general secretary Champat Rai and administrator Gopal Rao on Wednesday. Members of the probe team also questioned individuals involved in counting donations and maintaining the trust’s records.
Following the controversy, three persons lodged separate complaints at different police stations seeking registration of an FIR in the matter. However, no case has been registered so far.
The temple trust has not publicly commented on the allegations. PTI LAL BNS MAS SKL NP
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