AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday termed the FIR lodged in connection with the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya as “bogus”, alleging that the investigation was only targeting junior employees while protecting those higher up in the chain.
Kejriwal made the remarks after offering prayers at Hanumangarhi temple during his visit to Ayodhya with Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP and Uttar Pradesh in-charge Sanjay Singh.
Referring to the alleged theft of donations at the temple, the former Delhi chief minister said: “I prayed that God would give the harshest possible punishment to everyone guilty of the ‘maha baab’ crime.”
Describing the FIR as an “eyewash”, Kejriwal said the alleged scam could not have continued for long without the involvement of senior officials or influential figures.
He added: “Eight low-level employees have been arrested in this case. This scam has been going on for a long time. It is clear that junior employees alone could not have carried out such activities for so long. The links of this scam go much higher, but there is an attempt to protect senior people while placing the entire blame on the heads of these junior employees.”
Kejriwal, who was accompanied by Sanjay Singh and party workers during the visit, also offered prayers at the Ram temple amid the ongoing controversy over alleged misappropriation of donations.
What is the donation row of Ayodhya Ram temple?
Controversy erupted earlier this month after allegations surfaced that millions of rupees in donations made by devotees at a Ram temple had been misappropriated or misappropriated. The allegations gained momentum after cash was recovered from the home of a temple employee in Ayodhya, sparking calls for an independent investigation.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has denied any wrongdoing, but has demanded an investigation into the allegations. Following the request, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a three-member special investigation team on June 14 to examine the matter.
Police case against eight after SIT report
The FIR was registered on June 25 at Ram Janmabhoomi police station on the complaint of trust member Krishna Mohan, two days after the special investigation team submitted its preliminary report to the Uttar Pradesh government recommending criminal action in the case. Since then, police have arrested eight people named in the FIR.
The case has been registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act, including charges related to criminal breach of trust, cheating and conspiracy.
BJP defends probe
Responding to this controversy, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Brijesh Pathak, said that the government took the matter seriously and assured that strict action would be taken against anyone found guilty.
“The government has taken the entire matter seriously. An FIR has been registered. Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty,” Pathak said.
BJP MP Dinesh Sharma also defended the investigation, saying the institution itself had contacted the police and sought legal action.
“Even before the opposition could have its say, the trust itself lodged its own FIR. A special investigation team was formed. Eight people were arrested. There could not have been a fairer and more transparent procedure than what the government is implementing,” Sharma said.
The interim findings of the special investigation team also recommended the appointment of a chief executive officer to run the temple, weekly audits of donations and stricter record-keeping mechanisms to improve transparency in dealing with offerings by devotees.
