Ram Temple 'theft' was planned, govt placed its chosen people at Trust: Avimukteshwaranand

Bahraich (UP): Swami Avimukteshwaranand on Tuesday alleged that the government had placed "its chosen people" at the Ram temple trust to facilitate "theft" and the SIT formed for the probe was bound to give them a "clean chit".

The construction and management of temples should remain with religious leaders, the seer told reporters at Payagpur in Bahraich district during his ongoing public awareness march on cow protection.

"This is not an accident, but a planned act," he said.

"Building a temple was the job of religious leaders, but the government placed its chosen people in the Trust so that it could get work done as it wished. We believe they were put there to facilitate theft," he alleged.

Avimukteshwaranand alleged Champat Rai's resignation from the Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was only for "show", claiming that no one had seen the resignation and that he continued to function from the temple premises.

"The government constituted the Trust and the government itself formed the SIT. Who will punish whom? It is obvious that they will give a clean chit," said Avimukteshwaranand, the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math.

"The media itself recently showed that entry passes were still being issued with his signature," he claimed, adding that the community of seers had lost confidence in the trust.

"Seers deliver decisions like a court. They have decided that they no longer have faith in this trust.