Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday alleged that the resignations, arrests and investigations linked to the alleged ‘Chanda Churi’ (donation theft) case in Ayodhya Shri Ram Mandir were only aimed at ‘misleading the public’.
Addressing a press conference during his visit to Goa, Kejriwal questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi was protecting influential individuals who were allegedly linked to irregularities related to land deals, construction contracts and management of donations at the temple.
AAP SIT Questions, Arrests and Resignations
Kejriwal claimed that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), FIR and the arrests made in the case lacked credibility and were merely “cosmetic measures”.
“They have now registered a ‘counting’ FIR and arrested eight low-level employees who were only counting money,” he added.
The AAP chief claimed that despite reports of loss of cash, ornaments and other valuables, only a limited number have been recovered. He further alleged that the police did not request the detention of the arrested persons for detailed interrogation.
Questioning the functioning of the special court, Kejriwal said it had informed AAP MP Sanjay Singh that investigation into land transactions was outside its purview.
“If you’re not investigating land fraud or construction fraud, what are you investigating?” he asked.
Kejriwal also claimed that the previous special probe committee set up in 2021 on land transactions did not yield any clear result.
Allegations regarding land deals and temple management
Kejriwal referred to the previously reported allegations of land purchases linked to the Shri Ram Mandir Trust. He claimed that some plots of land were purchased at much higher prices soon after they were purchased by middlemen.
He further alleged that the engineers involved in the construction of the temple raised concerns about the commissions required while allocating the tender.
The AAP convenor wondered how the Prime Minister could remain unaware of the alleged irregularities, given that the trust was formed under the supervision of the Center and included individuals appointed by the government.
“Prime Minister Modi himself formed the fund, and every member of it is a person he has chosen,” he said.
Kejriwal also pointed out allegations of missing valuables, deleted CCTV footage, and incidents of alleged theft captured on CCTV.
During the press conference, he claimed that people across the country, including Goa, felt hurt by the reports related to the temple.
He also criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that despite repeatedly referring to Shri Ram and Ram Mandir in his speeches, he has not visited the temple for darshan since its inauguration.
There was no immediate response from the BJP or the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust regarding the allegations made by Kejriwal.
