Ram Temple Trust justifies deal, Opposition wants FIR

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 15

With Opposition outfits, including the Samajwadi Party, Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, cornering the ruling BJP over allegations of corruption in the purchase of land by Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the controversy appears to have the potential to become a major issue in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due next year.

• Editorial: Unholy land deal?

UP ex-CM Akhilesh Yadav today asked the members of the Trust overseeing the Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya to resign until “cleared of graft allegations” following a neutral probe.

Sources said CM Yogi Adityanath had sought a report from the Trust officials and was “satisfied” with it.

Dubbing the allegations as “politically motivated”, Trust general secretary Champat Rai gave a detailed clarification on the land purchase deal. The Trust is accused of buying land worth Rs 2 crore at an “inflated” rate of Rs 18.5 crore.

Alleging misappropriation of Rs 16.5 crore, MP Congress general secretary KK Mishra today lodged a complaint with the Indore police seeking registration of an FIR against the Trust officials.

Sultan Ansari, a party to the land deal, claimed that the land agreement with the Trust was “transparent and the financial dealings were accounted for”.

Calling it a matter of “serious concern”, political analyst Sudhir Panwar claimed the allegations not only questioned the BJP-RSS rhetoric that Ram Temple was an issue of faith for them, but eroded the confidence of those who had contributed and collected funds for the temple. AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who has sought a probe by the CBI and the ED into the matter, said he won’t let anyone steal the money meant for the Ram Temple.

House attacked: AAP MP

AAP MP Sanjay Singh on Tuesday claimed his house in Delhi was “attacked” by BJP supporters for highlighting the alleged corruption in the purchase of a piece of land in Ayodhya by the Ram Temple Trust.