Senior RSS Pracharak Champat Rai Forced to Quit Ram Mandir Trust Amid Donation Theft Allegation

Ayodhya: Senior RSS pracharak and Vice President of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Champat Rai Bansal, has resigned as General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust following mounting allegations of embezzlement of temple donations.

The resignation, described by sources as being on “moral grounds”, comes hours after Uttar Pradesh Police arrested eight persons, including Champat Rai’s close aide and driver Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav, in connection with the alleged theft of offerings (chadava) at the Ram Mandir. The arrests were made on the basis of CCTV evidence, according to police sources.

Champat Rai, a veteran of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement who had been serving as the Trust’s General Secretary since February 2020, stepped down along with another trustee, Anil Mishra. The move follows weeks of controversy over missing donations, unaccounted silver offerings, and questions over financial oversight at the temple.

Critics have questioned the timing of the resignation. While Champat Rai had earlier maintained that regular internal audits had found no irregularities, the arrests and growing public outrage appear to have forced his hand. Opposition leaders and several commentators have accused the Trust of delaying action and shielding those responsible. They argue that an independent investigation, possibly involving central agencies, should have been initiated much earlier.

“Devotees who donated their hard-earned money with faith deserve complete transparency. A resignation after the arrests is too little, too late,” one senior political figure remarked.

Champat Rai, who turned 80 this year, has been a senior RSS pracharak for decades. He resigned his job as a chemistry lecturer to work full-time for the Sangh and later became a key organiser in the Ayodhya movement. He played a prominent role in documenting evidence for the legal battle and was appointed General Secretary of the Trust after the 2019 Supreme Court verdict.

The Ram Mandir, built with donations from millions of devotees across the country and abroad, has been at the centre of a political storm since allegations of financial irregularities surfaced earlier this month. While the Trust has maintained that audits are ongoing, the arrest of Champat Rai’s aide has intensified scrutiny on the management and oversight mechanisms at the temple.

With Champat Rai’s exit, the Trust is now under pressure to appoint new leadership and ensure a thorough, independent probe into the donation irregularities. Devotees and observers are watching closely to see whether the resignation marks genuine accountability or is merely an attempt to contain the damage.

The episode has once again raised uncomfortable questions about transparency and governance in religious institutions that handle large public donations. For now, the image of the Ram Mandir — projected as a symbol of faith and collective sacrifice — stands tarnished by allegations of loot within its own premises.