Ram Mandir Trust Controversy: Ram Temple of Ayodhya is not only a center of faith, but is also included among the most popular institutions of the country. From temple construction to offerings, every decision becomes a topic of discussion among the people. Recently, many questions have again been raised regarding the alleged theft of temple offerings and the appointment of a new member in the trust. For the first time, the Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust has issued an official statement in the matter of alleged embezzlement of crores of rupees in the offerings of Ram Temple. The Trust has confirmed that its General Secretary Champat Rai and Trustee Dr Anil Mishra have resigned from their respective posts. Trust Treasurer Govind Dev Giri said that a decision on these resignations will be taken in the next meeting.
It has also been told that the silver bricks, jewelery and other offerings donated by the devotees are completely safe and their complete accounts are available. It has been almost three weeks since this matter came to light, but only now has an official response come from the Trust. Amidst all this, the biggest question in the minds of people is whether the Central Government has control over the Ram Mandir Trust? If there is any irregularity in the trust, who investigates it? How are members elected in the trust? Its laws? Come, let us understand these in simple language through questions and answers.
Question: How was Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust established?
answer:
If we know from the beginning, Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was formed on 9 November 2019 after the historic decision of the Supreme Court on the Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute. The court had directed the Central Government to form a trust for the construction of the temple within three months. After which, on 5 February 2020, the Central Government announced the formation of the Trust in the Parliament. It has been established to oversee the construction, finance and administration of Ram Temple. From the very beginning, the government had made it clear that it would be an autonomous trust, that is, it would be independent in taking decisions related to the temple and would conduct its functioning on its own.
Ram temple controversy
Question: Can the Central Government interfere in the functioning of the Trust?
answer:
No, recently in an RTI case the Central Government has also reiterated the same thing. On the petition of RTI activist Neeraj Sharma, the Home Ministry, in its reply sent to the Chief Information Commissioner on February 20, 2025, said that even though the Trust has been formed by the Central Government under the orders of the Supreme Court, it does not mean that the government can interfere in the functioning of the Trust. The Home Ministry clearly said that the Central Government has no role in the administration, financial decisions or other activities of the Trust. The ministry formed the trust only as per the Supreme Court order and provided five acres of land to the Sunni Waqf Board for the mosque. After this the trust takes all its own decisions.
Question: From where does the Trust get this right?
answer:
Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has protection under Article 26 of the Indian Constitution. Article 26 gives religious institutions the right to manage their religious affairs. For this reason, the Trust is free to take its own decisions related to its administration, property and operation of the temple. This is the reason why the government cannot directly interfere in the day-to-day functioning of the Trust. The Trust has the authority to take all decisions related to the construction, operation, maintenance of the Ram Temple, management of donations and offerings, appointment of staff, development of the temple complex and facilities for devotees.
Question: How are new members selected in the trust?
answer:
In case of death of any member of the Trust or the post becoming vacant, a new member is elected with mutual consent in the meeting of the Trust. Recently, in the meeting held after the death of trust member Kameshwar Chaupal, all the trustees agreed to appoint Krishna Mohan as a member in his place. Trust general secretary Champat Rai said that all the members unanimously approved this proposal. However, the seat vacant after the death of Trust member Vimalendra Pratap Mishra has not been filled yet. The reason given for this was that a consensus has not yet been reached among all the members on this post. It is mandatory for all the members of the Trust to be followers of Hindu religion.
Question: How does the functioning and administration of the trust work?
answer:
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is an independent and autonomous institution, which works according to its own rules. The President, General Secretary and Treasurer of the Trust perform different responsibilities. The role of Uttar Pradesh government is limited only to security, law and order and administrative coordination, while donation and financial decisions are taken by the Trust itself. There are about 35 donation boxes in the temple, which are counted at several levels under the supervision of SBI and authorized agencies. The work of counting cash is done in two shifts, in which about 50 people are involved. About 1,500 volunteers manage the operation of the temple. The Trust considers itself outside RTI and the final decision on this is still in the judicial process.
Question: Who are the members in the trust and what are their responsibilities?
There is a provision of a total of 15 members in Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, out of which at present there are 14 members. This includes senior advocates, saints, administrative officers and ex-officio representatives of the government. The trust is headed by Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, while Champat Rai is the general secretary and Swami Govind Dev Giri is the treasurer. Nripendra Mishra handles the responsibility of the temple construction committee. Apart from this, representatives of the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments, District Magistrate of Ayodhya, representatives of Nirmohi Akhara and many prominent saints are part of the Trust, who take decisions related to temple construction, administration, finance and coordination.
Who are the members of Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust?
Question: When and how can the membership of a member of the Trust be terminated?
answer:
Membership of a member of the Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust may terminate upon his death, resignation, being declared bankrupt, being mentally incompetent (of unsound mind), being convicted of any crime or being declared legally unfit. Apart from this, the decision to remove a member in the interest of the Trust can be taken with a two-thirds majority of the Trust. However, Senior Advocate K Parasaran enjoys a special status and remains a member of the Trust for life and other members do not have the right to remove him.
Question: How did the investigation into alleged theft in offerings begin?
answer:
News of alleged irregularities related to offerings in Ram temple were coming to light since the beginning of June. But at that time the police or any other investigating agency did not start investigation at their level. The investigation began when the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust itself recommended an investigation into the matter to the Uttar Pradesh government. After this the administration came into action and investigation into the matter began. That is, the initial initiative in this matter was taken by the Trust, and not by the police or any government agency.
Question: If the trust is independent, who will take action if it goes wrong?
answer:
The Trust takes its own administrative decisions, but this does not mean that it is above the law. If allegations of theft, fraud, embezzlement or any other criminal offense arise in any case, the state police, investigating agencies and courts can take action as per law. That means the trust is certainly independent, but not free from legal accountability.
Question: What is the recent controversy related to Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust?
answer:
The controversy related to Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust is related to the alleged embezzlement of donations, cash, gold, silver and other valuable offerings received in the temple. It is alleged that less amount was recorded in the records than the actual amount taken out from the donation boxes. Besides, there were allegations of misappropriation of gold, silver and other valuable items. Former accounts in-charge Mahipal Singh revealed the irregularities and claimed that he was removed after protesting. Allegations of erasing CCTV footage and buying properties worth crores of low-paid employees made the matter more serious.
Question: What action has been taken so far in this matter?
answer:
After investigation, the SIT submitted its report to the Home Department on June 23 and recommended registering an FIR. After this, on June 25, an FIR was registered on the complaint of trust member Krishna Mohan and eight people were arrested. Among the accused were also those close to some senior officials of the Trust. On June 26, the court sent all the accused to judicial custody. On the same day, in view of the growing controversy and to ensure a fair investigation, Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and Trustee Dr. Anil Mishra resigned from their posts.
Leave a Reply