VHP denies pressuring Champat Rai to resign, criticises Akhilesh Yadav's Ayodhya promise

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has stated that no pressure was exerted on Champat Rai to resign from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Alok Kumar, international president of VHP, made the remarks on Sunday, accusing opposition parties of leveraging alleged misappropriation of Ram temple donations for political advantage.

Reacting to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav's pledge to develop Ayodhya as 'Siyaram Dham' if elected to power, Kumar expressed skepticism, citing the party's historical neglect of the temple town. He alleged that under the SP government, Ayodhya remained underdeveloped with poor infrastructure, dust and broken roads. Kumar also referenced the 1990 police firing on karsevaks during Mulayam Singh Yadav's tenure as chief minister, suggesting voters would judge the SP based on its past record.

The VHP chief also targeted the Congress party over allegations of missing valuables from the Ram temple. He cited a statement by Trust treasurer Govind Dev Giri confirming that gold, silver and other items were safe, and demanded documentary evidence from Congress. Describing the allegations as an attempt to create unrest and hurt Hindu sentiment, Kumar called for police action under Section 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Champat Rai resigned as general secretary of the Ram temple trust earlier this month, citing personal reasons. However, speculation about pressure from VHP or other Sangh affiliates had been circulating. The VHP's clarification aims to dispel such claims.