Champat Rai: RSS pracharak at the center of the Ram temple donation row

Champat Rai, General Secretary, Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. File | Photo credit: RV Moorthy

Few individuals were as closely associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement as Champat Rai. For decades, the 79-year-old worked mostly behind the scenes RSS pracharak and senior functionary of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), helping to guide the movement through organizational, legal and administrative challenges before taking on the construction and management of the temple. 2019 Supreme Court verdict.

Now, barely two-and-a-half years after the dedication of the Ram temple, Mr. Rai finds himself at the center of a controversy with allegations of corruption related to donations received by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra (SRJTK) Foundation. The inquiry has brought unprecedented scrutiny to the project, which he has overseen since its inception, and transformed Mr. Rai’s own public role from a low-profile organizer to one of the most recognizable faces of the Ram temple project, which is now being held accountable.

Published – 26 Jun 2026 20:06 IST