Amid a probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra have resigned, taking moral responsibility.
The resignations came after an FIR was registered in connection with the alleged misappropriation of temple donations, sources told ANI.
Those named in the FIR are Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others.
The FIR was filed under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh government.
The investigation follows allegations by former Samajwadi Party MLA Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations to the Ram temple had been misappropriated. Following the allegations, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) on June 14 at the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Speaking in Deoria after the first FIR was registered on the basis of the SIT's preliminary report, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused opposition parties of trying to derive political mileage from the controversy. He said those who had opposed the construction of the Ram temple were now raising the issue for political gain.
Addressing a public meeting held alongside the inauguration and foundation stone laying of 106 development projects worth more than Rs 456 crore, Adityanath said the government would adopt a "zero-tolerance" approach against anyone seeking to undermine public faith.
He also criticised those questioning matters relating to Lord Ram and Ayodhya, saying they had previously denied the significance of both.
"One side used to say that lord Ram doesn't even exist, meaning these people wanted to deny Ayodhya itself. They kept fighting the case in court continuously, kept fielding armies of lawyers against the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, and the other side is the one that would wield sticks and fire bullets at those chanting 'Jai Shri Ram.' Those who would fire bullets at the mere mention of Lord Ram's name are now saying that there has been tampering with faith... They would incite riots on Ram Navami, ban Shri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations, prevent the Kanwar Yatra from taking place, incite riots during Durga Puja... Remember, the Congress didn't just loot the country; they tore it apart. The records of dishonesty and corruption they established, and those very people are now casting aspersions on Ayodhya? This is unacceptable," Yogi said.
"The government's intention is clear... everything will come before everyone. But I will appeal once again: do not test Ram devotees, stop tampering with their faith. If there are no facts or evidence, then stop the accusations and counter-accusations, and if there is evidence, then present it before the SIT. The government is proceeding with the action as per the SIT's recommendations, and while the team of senior officials is working, stop making political statements about it," he added.
Reiterating the government's position, Adityanath said the investigation would establish the facts and urged those making allegations to cooperate with the SIT. "The government had stated from day one that the absolute truth would be brought to light. I reiterate: do not put the devotees of Ram to the test, do not trifle with their faith; if you have proof, present the evidence to the SIT," he said.
Opposition parties question timing of FIR
Meanwhile, opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh stepped up their attack on the BJP government, with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai questioning the timing and scope of the police action.
In a post on X, Yadav alleged that the FIR was preceded by efforts to shield influential persons. "In BJP rule, this is how injustice will be displayed: the tip of the tree will be hanged while the branches will be forgiven," he said.
"The public is saying that first, under the pretext of the SIT, all evidence would have been cleaned up and it would have been decided which big fish had to be saved and who had to be trapped. Only after that has the FIR been registered," he added.
"It appears the SIT report was prepared in advance and the investigation was conducted accordingly, meaning the conclusion had already been reached beforehand," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added.
Speaking to PTI Videos in Varanasi, Rai said the Congress had raised the issue across Uttar Pradesh and demanded the registration of an FIR in connection with the alleged donation embezzlement.
"Our party raised its voice in every district of the state over the theft and embezzlement of offerings at the Ayodhya Ram temple and demanded that an FIR be registered. We had also submitted copies of a memorandum addressed to the president to officials in every district. Today, you can see that the trust was compelled to take a decision and get an FIR registered," he said.
However, the Congress leader alleged that the FIR is merely a "formality".
"This FIR has been registered only as a formality and only the names of small employees have been included. The names of the people under whose supervision the entire Ram temple and trust function -- Nripendra Misra, Champat Rai, Gopal Rao and Anil Mishra -- are not there, despite allegations of corruption against them," he said.
Rai further alleged that workers associated with the temple had claimed that commissions of up to 40 per cent were sought from them.
"All this proves that the FIR has been lodged only to mislead people and pacify public anger. It will have no meaningful impact. Until cases are registered against the big people involved, we will not remain silent and will continue to fight on this issue," he said.
"The people named in the FIR are all small employees. Action should be taken against those senior persons under whose directions they worked," Rai added.
The Congress leader also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government of protecting certain individuals linked to the case.
"When allegations are being made against the trust chairman, who has also served as the secretary to the prime minister, why is no case being registered against him? It is because he enjoys the prime minister's protection. The same is true of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra. That is why all these people are being protected," Rai alleged.
Notably, the SIT was constituted on June 14 following allegations of financial irregularities involving donations made to the Ram temple. The state government said the inquiry was initiated after a request from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)