Who is Champat Rai, the man AAP labels ‘main thief’ in Ayodhya donation controversy?

As allegations surrounding the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya trigger a fresh political controversy, one name has repeatedly surfaced in the attacks mounted by Opposition parties, Champat Rai.

The veteran Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader and General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has become the focal point of criticism from Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with Opposition leaders demanding that investigators examine his role in the alleged irregularities linked to temple funds and land transactions.

The immediate trigger is the FIR registered in connection with the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. While the investigation is underway, Opposition leaders have publicly questioned why senior Trust functionaries, including Champat Rai, have not been named in the case.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh described Champat Rai as the "main thief" in the controversy and questioned whether the FIR includes the names of key Trust officials. He alleged that the alleged donation and land-related irregularities took place under Rai's watch and called for accountability at the highest levels of the Trust.

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai has also demanded legal action against senior Trust officials, including Champat Rai, Chairman Nripendra Mishra and member Anil Mishra. The Congress leader claimed that pressure from the Opposition forced authorities to register a case and insisted that the probe should not be limited to lower-level functionaries.

The political debate intensified after reports claimed that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) sought details related to donations received by the Ram Mandir Trust.

According to reports cited by Opposition leaders, the Trust allegedly did not provide the requested information, citing the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe. These reports prompted AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal to question how the Trust could decline such a request and whether influential people were being shielded from scrutiny.

Kejriwal has repeatedly alleged that the SIT investigation is focusing on lower-level employees while avoiding action against senior officials. He has demanded an independent and transparent inquiry into the allegations.

Who is Champat Rai?

Champat Rai is among the influential figures associated with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the administration of the Ram Mandir project.

Born in 1946 in Nagina in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district, Rai was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from a young age and later emerged as a prominent leader within the Vishva Hindu Parishad.

Over the decades, he became one of the key faces of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and currently serves as the General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the body overseeing the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Apart from his organisational work, Rai has also authored books on Jain philosophy.