Although the preliminary Special Investigation Team (SIT) report has not named Champat Rai or attributed any wrongdoing to him in connection with the alleged Ram Mandir donation theft, critics and the Opposition continue to question the former Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary. On Tuesday, Rai said he would respond to all allegations after the SIT submits its final report.
“After the SIT submits its final report, I will respond point by point, in sequence, to every allegation being circulated. The truth will come before everyone,” Rai said in his first response on financial irregularities at the Ram Mandir.
“Since June 7, 2026, several discussions have been taking place regarding the alleged theft during the counting of donations from the donation boxes at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple complex. Many people have made baseless allegations against me personally. I have chosen to remain silent,” he said in a handwritten Hindi letter addressed to Ram devotees.
Observers say that Champat Rai remains under public and political scrutiny because the allegations of financial misappropriation surfaced during his tenure as general secretary of the Trust. “As the senior-most administrative functionary when the irregularities took place, his role should be under scrutiny,” they add. The Opposition, which alleges that he and other higher-ups are being “shielded,” has questioned why the preliminary SIT report did not name him despite his role as the Trust’s then general secretary.
But there is more.
Champat Rai has been a target of criticism not just from the Opposition but also from many associated with the saffron camp. BJP leader and Bajrang Dal founder Vinay Katiyar recently said that Champat Rai, administrator Gopal Rao and former trustee Anil Mishra “could go to jail in connection with irregularities in donations.” “It’s clear that money has been siphoned off. I spoke to Modi ji over this matter, and he asked what would happen in future. I told him everything will be fine. There might be a chance that Champat Rai, Gopal Rao and Anil Mishra go to jail in the coming days,” he was quoted as saying.
In fact, the Trust’s formation and composition had upset several saints and movement leaders who felt sidelined despite decades of participation. Though Mahant Nritya Gopal Das was made the president, critics alleged that key decision-making was with Champat Rai.
The Trust manages the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, and Rai had been at the forefront of its administration since before construction began. A full-time RSS pracharak associated with the VHP, Rai is praised by supporters for his simplicity, integrity and dedication to the Ram Mandir movement, but critics, including several saints and seers, also describe him as “rigid, arrogant and resistant to opposing views”.