Ayodhya: The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra (SEJTK) Trust of the Ram temple here has accepted the resignations of its general secretary Champat Rai and member Anil Mishra after a key meeting, treasurer Govind Giri stated.
The meeting lasted over three hours in total and was attended by seven of its nine permanent members, including Trust chairman Nritya Gopal Das.
The Trust stated that the resignations were voluntarily submitted by the persons in question. It further stated that Champat Rai set an example and showed maturity with his decision to tender resignation.
The Trust has decided to appoint Krishna Mohan as Interim General Secretary, replacing Champat Rai.
The next meeting of the Trust is scheduled on July 22
The resignations of Rai and Mishra come against the backdrop of alleged embezzlement of donations received at the temple.
The meeting of the Trust today started at 3.15 pm at the guest house inside the Ram Janmabhoomi complex. Rai and Mishra did not attend the meeting, the sources said.
In a statement issued on Monday ahead of the meeting, Das said he was "deeply pained" by the alleged theft of donations from the Ram Lalla temple and called for the strictest punishment for those responsible.
Expressing confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said every person linked to the alleged offence would be brought to justice and asserted that no one should seek political mileage from an issue connected to the faith of millions of Hindus.
Elaborate security arrangements were put in place, with additional police personnel deployed on roads leading to the Ram temple complex. The venue was shifted from Mani Ram Das Chhawani to the temple complex, citing security reasons.
Access for private vehicles, including those of media personnel, has been restricted near the temple complex.
Union government secretary Prashant Lokhande and Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad were expected to join the meeting virtually, sources said.
Residents and seers in Ayodhya said they were awaiting the outcome of the trust meeting with the hope that those responsible for the alleged theft of temple donations would be brought to justice.
"Everyone in Ayodhya is hurt by this theft in the temple of Lord Ram. Our only wish is that all those behind it must be identified and punished," said Reema Devi, who sells prayer items on the Ram Path.
The Ram Path leading to the temple wore a deserted look under a cloudy sky on Monday, with only small groups of devotees walking towards the shrine as police personnel maintained a strict vigil along the route amid heightened security arrangements.
Meanwhile, sources said a separate closed-door meeting was held at the residence of trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri, where several senior leaders of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) were present.
Trust member Krishna Mohan, VHP general secretary Bajrang Bagra and Central Advisory Committee member Dinesh Kumar also attended the deliberations at Vaidehi Bhavan. The participants did not respond to questions from the media.
The VHP on Monday said it will respect whatever decision the Trust takes on the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, who belong to the outfit.
The RSS affiliate also said that the ongoing probe into the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple should be allowed to reach its conclusion.
Ahead of the temple trust's meeting, Govind Dev Giri declined to comment on the allegations surrounding the alleged embezzlement of temple donations. He said that he would address all queries only after the trust meeting concluded.
"I will not say anything now. I am here for four days. I will see you after the meeting and tell you everything," he told reporters.
Govind Dev Giri had on Sunday said he had no role in the daily collection or counting of offerings at the temple. He asserted that local trustees supervised the process and the trust's audit records were intact.
An SIT constituted on June 13 to probe the alleged theft of Ram Temple donations had submitted its preliminary report to the state government on June 23, which formed the basis for an FIR and the arrest of eight named people.
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Investigators have also recovered deleted CCTV footage that allegedly shows the accused concealing currency notes while taking them out of the temple premises.
While no FIR has been registered against Rai, Mishra, and special invitee Gopal Rao, the Ayodhya lawyers of Faizabad Bar Association have submitted a written police complaint seeking registration of a case against them.
(With inputs from PTI)
