Ram Mandir donation theft case: Trust President Nritya Gopal Das demands strictest punishment for accused | Today’s news
Ram Temple Trust President Nritya Gopal Das on Monday called for the strictest punishment for those responsible for the alleged theft of offerings from devotees at the Ram Mandir.
He added that millions of Hindus deeply believe in the matter and appealed to people not to politicize the matter and use it for personal gain.
“I am deeply saddened by the alleged theft of offerings from devotees at the Shri Ramlalla Sarkar Temple. Whoever committed this heinous act should be punished with the strictest punishment,” Das said.
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
The Ram Mandir Trust faces allegations of embezzlement related to donations from devotees and allegations of theft from donation boxes at the temple.
Political parties are involved due to the potential misuse of the issue as a means of gaining political mileage, opposition parties are demanding an investigation into the irregularities.
The Ram Mandir Trust, led by president Nritya Gopal Das, has condemned the theft and called for strict punishment of those responsible, while urging people not to politicize the issue.
The Uttar Pradesh government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the theft allegations and has granted the SIT an extension in its investigation.
Devotees may be concerned about alleged thefts from their offerings, prompting calls for more transparency and accountability in the temple’s donation management.
“I have full faith in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi that every person involved in this wrongdoing, in any way, will be brought to justice and punished according to law. This is a matter of faith for millions of Hindus. I humbly request that no one politicizes this matter or exploits it for personal gain,” he said.
Trust meeting: Who is expected to attend?
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is set to convene a meeting at the Ram Temple complex in Ayodhya at 3 pm against the backdrop of the ongoing controversy surrounding the alleged misappropriation of temple donations.
Read also | The Ram Mandir saga: devotion meets disillusionment
Trust president Nritya Gopal Das will preside over the meeting. Trustees likely to attend include treasurer Govind Dev Giri, Vishwaprasannatirth, Swami Parmanand Giri, Jagadguru Vasudevanand Saraswati, Krishna Mohan, Anil Mishra and general secretary Champat Rai, according to ANI sources.
They added that ex-officio members including District Judge Shashank Tripathi, Uttar Pradesh Home Minister Sanjay Prasad, Central Government Representative Prashant Lokhande and Building Committee Chairman Nripendra Mishra are expected to attend the meeting. Trust member K Parasaran is also likely to join the proceedings through video conferencing, sources further said.
Read also | RSS breaks silence on ‘highly reprehensible’ Ram Mandir donation
However, sources indicated that there is uncertainty over whether Trust president Nritya Gopal Das will attend the meeting due to his health.
The meeting comes amid an intensifying political row over alleged embezzlement of temple donations, with opposition parties demanding an inquiry while the BJP accused them of trying to politicize the issue and hurt Hindu sentiments.
Ram Temple Trust Treasurer responds
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Treasurer and founder of Geeta Pariwar Swami Govind Dev Giri said on Monday that he would brief the media after the meeting of the Trust.
Read also | Kejriwal attacks Amit Shah over Ayodhya visit, says Ram Mandir used for polling
Before meeting reporters, Giri declined to comment on the matter, saying he would resolve all queries during a press conference later in the day.
“I won’t say anything now. I’ll meet tonight after today’s meeting. I’m here for three days. I’ll sit down with all of you and we’ll discuss everything. There will be a press conference after the meeting,” he mentioned.
Ram Mandir: Lucknow Bench of Allahabad HC to hear plea for CBI probe
Meanwhile, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court is scheduled to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) on Monday seeking a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in donations made at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The PIL, filed on June 12, will be heard by a division bench comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjeev Shukla.
The petition demanded that the CBI investigate allegations of theft and financial irregularities involving donations collected through donation boxes at the temple. It also requires the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to conduct an audit of temple donations.
