Ram Temple Offering Theft Widens Rift Between Trust and Construction Panel

Ayodhya: The theft of offerings at the Ram temple has deepened tensions between the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and the Ram Mandir Construction Committee. Since the theft came to light on June 6, the absence of Construction Committee chairman Nripendra Misra from consecutive Trust meetings and lack of Trust representation in Construction Committee meetings in July and August have raised questions about their working relationship.

Former Trust general secretary Champat Rai, trustee Dr Anil Mishra and construction in-charge Gopal Rao previously attended Construction Committee meetings regularly. However, after Rai and Anil Mishra stepped down, the Trust has not sent representatives to these meetings. Misra had initially spoken publicly about the offering theft, describing it as "dacoity," but stopped making public statements after June 23.