Congress seeks Champat Rai’s arrest, asks PM to apologise over Ram Temple donation row
The Congress on Wednesday (July 8, 2026) demanded the immediate arrest of former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai, and sought
The Congress on Wednesday (July 8, 2026) demanded the immediate arrest of former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai, and sought an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “mistake” in selecting members of the Trust. As part of the principal Opposition party’s continued focus on the issue of alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, senior Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil addressed a press conference in New Delhi. Gohil reiterated the party’s demand for a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the alleged irregularities, and called for the immediate dissolution of the temple Trust. “The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust should be immediately dissolved and replaced by a new Trust. The composition of this new Trust should be decided collectively by the Shankaracharyas, a retired Supreme Court judge, representatives of the Nirmohi Akhara, and various seers and saints,” the Congress leader said.
Modi ought to apologise to the country for his “mistake” in inducting people such as Mr. Rai into the Trust, instead of seers and saints, Mr. Gohil said. The pattern of donations at the temple had raised serious questions about the possible diversion of funds, the Congress leader also alleged. “Before the issue of theft of donations from the Ram Temple came to light, daily collections amounted to ₹16 lakh to ₹18 lakh. After the matter became public, this figure rose to ₹24 lakh to ₹26 lakh per day,” Mr. Gohil claimed, adding that this gave rise to the suspicion that around ₹10 lakh a day may have been misappropriated earlier. Crores of devotees from across the country had contributed to the construction of the Ram Temple in good faith, but the Trust had failed to place proper accounts of these donations in the public domain, he said.
Describing the temple as a matter of faith for crores of people, Mr. Gohil said any alleged financial irregularity linked to it could not be tolerated. He also accused the BJP of repeatedly seeking political mileage in the name of Lord Ram. Referring to the consecration ceremony, he said the views of the Shankaracharyas, which hold special significance in the Sanatan tradition, had been disregarded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for electoral gain, despite their objections to the timing of the pran pratishtha. The Congress’s fresh attack came after the Trust on Monday (July 6, 2026) accepted the resignations of Mr. Rai as general secretary, and Anil Mishra as member in the wake of the donation theft row. Trustee Krishna Mohan has since been appointed interim general secretary of the Trust. The Trust has also announced a three-member search committee to identify a chief executive officer, and promised to overhaul the donation system to restore devotees’ confidence.
The BriefWire