Ram Temple Trust Announces Champat Rai and Anil Mishra No Longer Members
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has confirmed that former General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra have ceased to be members of the Trust. The clarification was issued on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, to end speculation regarding their status following their resignations.
Trust Treasurer Govind Dev Giri told PTI that Rai and Mishra ceased to be part of the Trust after their resignations were accepted at the Trust's meeting on Monday, July 6, 2026. Giri emphasised that the Trust had no discretion in the matter, as senior trustee K Parasaran pointed out that under the Trust's constitution, a resignation takes effect immediately upon submission, leaving the Trust with no option but to accept it.
The Trust is likely to decide on a permanent replacement for Champat Rai at its next meeting on July 22. Krishna Mohan, a retired Indian Forest Service officer, has been appointed as interim General Secretary. Giri said the Trust may later make this appointment permanent. Suitable replacements for other vacant positions will also be considered during the meeting.
Giri also confirmed that Gopal Nagarakatte, also known as Gopal Rao, has been removed from the list of specially invited members of the Trust following the resignations.
The resignations of Rai and Mishra occurred amid a controversy over the theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Trust accepted their resignations at the Monday meeting, which also decided to strengthen administrative and financial systems, including appointing a chief executive officer and streamlining the management of donations and records.
The Trust's decision drew mixed reactions from seers in Ayodhya. Mahant Shashikant Das expressed dissatisfaction over Rai's removal, describing it as 'sad' since a Special Investigation Team had not found him guilty. In contrast, Jagadguru Ram Dineshacharya stated that Rai's resignation was appropriate to ensure a fair and impartial investigation into the allegations.
Jagadguru Paramhans Acharya told PTI Videos that the seer community stood by the Trust's decision and would welcome every decision it makes. He criticised allegations made without evidence and accused the opposition of spreading misleading information regarding the Ram temple issue.
