Ayodhya embezzlement: Kejriwal slams resignations, wants punishment

AAP's Arvind Kejriwal demanded strict punishment in the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation embezzlement case, slamming the resignations of Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and Trustee Anil Mishra as an attempt to protect them from legal action.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Monday called for "strict punishment" in the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation embezzlement case, calling the resignation of the Trust's General Secretary Champat Rai and Trustee Anil Mishra an attempt to save them.

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust accepted the resignation of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra following a high-level meeting on Monday, Ram Temple Trust Treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj said.

In an X post, Kejriwal wrote, "Hindus and Sanatanis don't need resignation; they deserve strict punishment. Don't try to save them by asking for their resignation."

Trust Overhauls Leadership

In addition to Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, the Trust decided to remove Gopal Nagarkote from the list of special invitee members.

The Trust has appointed trustee Krishna Mohan to discharge the responsibilities of General Secretary until a new appointment is made. It also constituted a three-member committee comprising retired Justice Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnukant Chaturvedi and Suresh Havde to recommend candidates for the post of Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Financial Details Released

According to a press release issued by the Trust, out of the total Rs 3,264 crore received through the fund dedication campaign and corpus donations, Rs 2,370 crore has been spent on construction and capital expenditure.

As of March 31, the temple had received Rs 582 crore in offerings, of which Rs 391 crore had been utilised for operational expenses, while the remaining amount is held in bank accounts.

The Trust further stated that 2,126 physical offerings have been registered and are physically verified annually by an independent chartered accountant firm. It added that silver offerings have been melted into bricks at the India Government Mint, with proper documentation and purity certificates maintained.

SIT Probe and Political Fallout

As the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case arrested the eight accused, the Trust has maintained that anyone found guilty should face legal action and receive the strictest possible punishment.

The case has brought the BJP government under the brunt of the Opposition's criticism in Uttar Pradesh, ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. (ANI)

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