Champat Rai being shielded in Ram Mandir donation theft case, claims Congress

The Congress on Sunday alleged that people such as former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai were being shielded in the probe into theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.The party also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “silence” on the issue and said the government was being lenient towards those accused of stealing money offered in the name of Lord Ram.Raising a series of questions on the SIT investigation, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh asked whether the probe was meant only to catch “petty thieves” or also to fix accountability for those under whose watch and patronage the alleged thefts took place.

He repeated the party’s demand for an independent, impartial and credible investigation monitored by the Supreme Court.In a post in Hindi on X, Ramesh said, “'Chanda Chori Aastha Dhokha'. Why is the Modi government “so lenient towards the thieves who stole donations meant for Lord Shri Ram’s Ayodhya temple”. He also said, “Modi ji, the government does not hesitate to misuse agencies like the ED and CBI against opposition leaders; yet, after CCTV footage revealed 105 incidents of theft of donations at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, why did the investigation not reach those suspected of shielding the thieves despite being responsible for the temple’s administration?”

He asked why there was an attempt to hush up the matter after recovery of only Rs 79.85 lakh against 105 incidents of theft. Ramesh also asked why Champat Rai and Anil Mishra were being treated as witnesses rather than accused, saying, “Why so?” Ramesh said a video related to the stolen amount had reached Champat Rai on June 4, the CCTV footage was viewed on June 5, and the FIR was lodged only on June 25.“ Our question is straightforward: a video regarding the stolen amount reached Champat Rai on June 4, the CCTV footage was viewed on June 5, and the FIR was lodged on June 25.

Why hasn’t the full truth behind this 21-day delay been revealed to the nation?” he asked.He said this question was critical because it had to be explained how such a large number of incidents could take place without “high-level collusion, negligence, or patronage”. He further asked how there could be only eight accused despite 105 incidents and whether the objective of the investigation was merely to catch petty thieves or also to fix accountability for those under whose watch these events took place.Ramesh said that since the offerings were made in the name of Lord Ram, it must be explained why, despite 105 incidents, the total amount stolen remained undetermined and why there was such haste to close the investigation.“

The nation demands an answer: does the Modi government intend to apprehend the actual thieves, or does it wish to bury questions that could implicate powerful, responsible figures?” he said.He also asked the Prime Minister to speak on the issue, saying, “Prime Minister, when will you break your silence on this matter, which is deeply linked to the faith of the people? Remember, the arrogance of power is suicidal. Now, the country demands an answer as to when accountability for the theft of donations will be fixed.”

The Congress also said PM Modi’s silence showed that the thieves “enjoy his protection”. In June, Champat Rai, then general secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and trust member Anil Mishra resigned from their posts. The trust said a fair inquiry would be conducted into the allegations related to the Ram temple donations.- Ends