Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday said that Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust took its own initiative to conduct an impartial investigation into the alleged embezzlement of offerings in the temple. The organization claimed that the Trust first conducted an internal inquiry and then requested to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated organization defended senior Trust officials Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, saying they voluntarily resigned from their posts to ensure a fair investigation. VHP also said that after receiving the preliminary report of the SIT, the first FIR in this matter was also lodged by the Trust itself.
The VHP also targeted opposition leaders, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that despite facing corruption charges, they did not leave public office, while Champat Rai and Anil Mishra did.
Champat Rai and Anil Mishra resigned
Trust general secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra had resigned from their posts on June 27, two days after the FIR was registered in the case. After the FIR was registered, eight accused including Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava and Ramashankar Yadav alias Tinnu Yadav were arrested.
VHP international president Alok Kumar, in a video message shared on
voluntarily resign from office
He said that Champat Rai and Anil Mishra voluntarily left their posts to ensure a fair and independent investigation. Alok Kumar said that Champat Rai and Anil Mishra voluntarily resigned from their posts to pave the way for a completely impartial and independent investigation. Welcoming the investigation, he said that both VHP and the Trust want the truth to come out. He said that the Trust is making every possible effort to ensure that the allegations are properly and impartially investigated as soon as possible.
Referring to the incident, Alok Kumar said that after the matter came to light, the members of the trust conducted an internal investigation, identified some culprits and recovered Rs 80 lakh. Immediately after this, the members of the Trust met the Chief Minister and requested to constitute SIT.
Champat Rai cooperated fully in the investigation
He said that when SIT started the investigation, Champat Rai cooperated fully. Alok Kumar said that when SIT reached Ayodhya, Champat Rai himself came forward and told the investigating agency that the truth should come out and he should be interrogated first.
Trust lodged FIR
He said that the Trust lodged the FIR only after receiving the preliminary report of the SIT. He said that after receiving the preliminary report of the SIT and its copy being received by the Trust, the first step the Trust took was to lodge an FIR. He said that eight people whose names had come up in the SIT investigation were included in the FIR, while others were mentioned in the ninth column. The trust also demanded a comprehensive investigation.
Trust demands its own investigation
He said that the Trust itself demanded that the matter be investigated from every aspect and all the allegations be thoroughly investigated. Referring to the resignation of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, Alok Kumar said, when the question was raised that if Champat Rai continued in the post, he could tamper with the evidence, influence witnesses and hinder the investigation, then Champat Rai and Anil Mishra immediately submitted their resignations.
Comparing him with opposition leaders, Alok Kumar said that when Kejriwal was the Chief Minister and he was accused of corruption, he was arrested and his bail plea was also rejected. Then he had said that he would run the government from jail while being the Chief Minister, but he did not resign.
Difference between Champat Rai and Congress
Alok Kumar also mentioned former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Rajiv Gandhi and alleged that despite the controversies associated with their governments, they too had not resigned. He alleged that Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, facing charges in the National Herald case, also did not resign. Alok Kumar said that this is the difference between the conduct of Champat Rai and the leaders of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party.
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