Ram Mandir Trust to convene July 7 meeting after senior resignations over donation scandal

Senior officials of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust – chief secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra – submitted their resignations following allegations of irregularities in temple donations. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s international president Alok Kumar announced that the Trust will hold a decisive meeting on 7 July in Ayodhya to consider the resignations and chart future management. The VHP called for a fast‑track court trial, swift punishment for those involved, and suggested appointing a chief executive officer to run the Trust.

Political reactions have intensified. BJP leaders have condemned any misuse of donations, while opposition parties and UBT Shiv Sena activists have demanded the Trust’s dissolution and full publication of the Special Investigation Team’s findings. Senior lawyer P.N. Mishra welcomed the resignations as a step toward an unbiased inquiry but warned that public suspicion remains. The Trust maintains that its accounts are regularly audited and that worship services continue uninterrupted. Police have already arrested eight individuals, including a former driver of Champat Rai, though the resigning officials are not named in the FIR.