India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the inauguration of a magnificent temple dedicated to Lord Ram in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, marking a historic moment after years of debate and legal battles.
A trust managing the construction of the Ram temple has announced a leadership restructuring following allegations that individuals involved in donation management illicitly diverted nearly eight million rupees. Trustees have accepted the resignations of General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra. An interim secretary has been appointed, and a committee is being formed to find candidates for a new CEO role.
Authorities recovered approximately 8 million rupees ($83,967) from seven individuals last month after detaining eight suspects. The temple had received over 5.82 billion rupees ($61 million) in offerings up until the end of March.
Trust officials expressed their dismay over the theft, with Treasurer Govindadev Giri calling the incident “shameful” and emphasizing that it hurts everyone involved. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu nationalist organization linked to Modi’s party, urged calm among Hindus, urging patience and restraint to resist efforts by anti-Hindu and anti-national forces to exploit the situation and tarnish Hindu society.
Opposition parties are demanding the trust be dissolved entirely and are calling on Modi to publicly address the scandal. They argue that the situation warrants a full overhaul and an investigation overseen by the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, Modi, who has been serving as the head of state since 2014 and leads the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is currently traveling abroad, visiting Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand. Critics within the opposition accuse his government of political opportunism, criticizing him for not acting more decisively on the matter domestically.