Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam on Saturday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged Ram Mandir donation misappropriation case, saying a high-level probe is necessary to maintain the faith and trust of millions of devotees.
Speaking to ANI, Acharya Pramod Krishnam said that the matter concerns the faith and veneration of millions of people and should be investigated thoroughly.
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“This is a matter of faith, reverence and trust of millions of people. To uphold this trust and maintain the faith, a CBI inquiry should be conducted into the frauds, irregularities and embezzlement that took place inside the Ram temple. The people of the country have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Not only millions of people in India but also Sanatan Dharma followers across the world are putting their complete trust in him and are currently feeling cheated,” Ani said.
He added: “We need to know who is involved, who is complicit, who appointed these individuals, and who witnessed the theft taking place. I believe this matter should be investigated by a strong, high-level agency so that the public’s trust can be maintained.”
Meanwhile, in Ayodhya, Rajendra Mishra, grandfather of accused Anukalp Mishra, said he had no knowledge of his grandson’s work at Ram Mandir.
“He is still studying. I had no knowledge about his work in Ram Mandir. I don’t have any information,” Rajendra Mishra told ANI.
Reacting to the controversy, BJP spokesperson Prakash Reddy defended the Uttar Pradesh government’s handling of the case and said strict action would be taken against those found guilty.
“The Uttar Pradesh government appointed a special investigation team. It issued a 20-page report, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath clearly said that the person responsible will be identified and punished. People like Arvind Kejriwal, who never supported the construction of the temple in Ayodhya, are now shedding crocodile tears. Henceforth, such incidents will not happen in Uttar Pradesh. I hope the people of Uttar Pradesh will understand the Uttar Pradesh government’s stand,” Reddy said.
The sources said that these statements come after the resignation of the Secretary General of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Fund, Champat Rai, and its trustee Anil Mishra, and they bear moral responsibility in relation to the case of the theft of alleged donations to the Ram Temple.
Later, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered on June 25 in connection with the alleged misappropriation of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
According to officials, the case has been filed under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316 (5), 317 (4), 317 (5), 61 and 3 (5), on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh government.
Those named in the FIR are: Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others. This comes after allegations made by Pawan Pandey, former SP MLA from Ayodhya, who claimed it was between them $7 Crores $Rs 7.5 crore donations were embezzled from Ram Mandir.
Following the allegations, on June 14, the state government constituted a three-member special investigation team to probe the alleged scam involving offers made at Ram Mandir, on the request of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir Trust.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak has said that strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty in the alleged Ayodhya Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case.
“The government has taken the entire matter seriously. An FIR has been registered. Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty,” he said.
