Ram Temple Trust clarifies Champat Rai, Anil Mishra have ceased to be members
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) that former General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra are no
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust said on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) that former General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra are no longer members of the Trust, putting to rest any speculation regarding their status. "Rai and Mishra ceased to be part of the Trust after their resignations were accepted at the meeting on Monday (July 6, 2026)," Treasurer of the Trust, Govind Dev Giri, told PTI. The Trust is likely to decide at its next meeting on July 22 whether to make Krishna Mohan, a retired Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer, the permanent replacement for Champat Rai. "As of now, Krishna Mohan has been appointed as the interim General Secretary by the Trust, but the Trust may later decide to make this appointment permanent," Mr. Giri told PTI.
He emphasised that the Trust members are likely to consider Krishna Mohan's appointment and suitable replacements for the vacant positions during the meeting on July 22. He also clarified that Rai and Mishra ceased to be part of the Trust after their resignations were accepted at its meeting on Monday, dismissing assertions that they had only stepped down from their posts but continued as trustees. Giri also confirmed that the Trust has decided to remove Gopal Nagarakatte, also known as Gopal Rao, from the list of specially invited members of the Trust following the resignations of Rai and Mishra. Giri, while answering questions over the resignation of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, had explained on Monday (July 6) that the Trust had no discretion in the matter as senior trustee K Parasaran pointed out that, under the Trust's constitution, a resignation takes effect immediately upon being submitted, leaving the Trust with no option but to accept it.
The Trust's decision evoked mixed reactions from seers in Ayodhya. Mahant Shashikant Das expressed dissatisfaction over Champat Rai's removal, describing it as "sad" since the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had not found him guilty. Conversely, Jagadguru Ram Dineshacharya stated that Rai's resignation was appropriate to ensure a fair and impartial investigation into the allegations. Jagadguru Paramhans Acharya told PTI Videos that the seer community stood by the Trust's decision and would welcome every decision it made. He also criticised allegations made without evidence and accused the opposition of spreading misleading information regarding the Ram temple issue. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on Monday (JUly 6, 2026) accepted the resignations of Rai and Mishra amid the row over the theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The BriefWire