Tensions between former IAS officer Nripendra Mishra and Champat Rai appear to be deepening following the Ram Mandir donation-theft case. On Friday, when reporters in Ayodhya questioned Mishra about Champat Rai’s allegations of high-handedness, he reacted with irritation.
He said,
I have not seen any such letter. Until I see the letter, I will maintain that this is a media-concocted story. You people only want to create controversy — that’s why you’re asking me this question. There may be a nine-page letter, but even so, he (Champat Rai) would not have criticised in this manner.
Champat Rai’s nine-page letter surfaced on Thursday, making several claims about the role of Nripendra Mishra, chairman of the temple construction committee. In the letter, Rai alleged high-handedness, claiming Mishra had inducted people of his own choosing into the construction committee.
Champat Rai had resigned as general secretary on 26 June, after the donation-theft case came to light. His resignation was accepted at a trust meeting on 6 July.
The former IAS officer answered media questions at the Ayodhya Circuit House on Friday.
What Champat Rai’s letter said
Champat Rai said the trust set up for the Ram Mandir’s construction had 15 trustees, with Nripendra Mishra appointed chairman of the construction committee. He alleged that on Mishra’s recommendation, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) was given responsibility for the temple’s construction, and Noida-based firm Design Associates was selected for work related to the design and construction of the buildings.
He alleged Mishra inducted people of his choosing into the construction committee, some of whom visited Ayodhya only once or twice in six years, while former NBCC chairman Anoop Mittal regularly attended construction committee meetings alongside Mishra.
The picture is from August 4. Champat Rai had met Jagadguru Paramhans Acharya, the pontiff of Tapasvi Chhawani.
“Priority given to Nripendra Mishra’s decisions”
Champat Rai wrote that decisions related to the temple’s construction were taken at committee meetings, but in several cases were later changed, with priority given to Mishra’s decisions. He alleged that suggestions or decisions from other committee members were, in several cases, not given due importance.
Champat Rai has issued a 9-page letter.
“Struggle for Ram Mandir construction ran from 1528 to 2019”
In 1528, Babur’s forces demolished the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. Following this, a struggle to reclaim the temple land continued among Ayodhya’s seers, local rulers and princely states, and the general public. In 1949, the local community took possession of the site, after which this phase of the struggle ended.
Between 1950 and 1989, four suits were filed in local courts, which were fought independently by those who filed them. The case was later heard by a three-judge bench of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court. Over roughly 15 years of hearings, the three judges wrote independent verdicts running to a combined total of about 8,500 pages.
The Supreme Court attempted a negotiated settlement through a three-member mediation panel. Several rounds of talks were held between March and July 2019 but no resolution was reached. A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court then began regular hearings from 6 August 2019, delivering a unanimous verdict on 9 November 2019 that cleared the way for the temple’s construction.
Following the Supreme Court’s direction, the central government constituted an independent trust named Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, comprising 15 trustees, with one seat reserved for the Nirmohi Akhara and one for SC/ST representation. IAS officers representing the Ayodhya DM, the Uttar Pradesh government and the central government were made ex-officio trustees.
Construction-related suggestions from the late VHP leader Ashok Singhal were conveyed to Nripendra Mishra. L&T was selected for the temple’s construction, with Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) appointed to oversee it. Noida-based Design Associates and its principal, Jai Kaktikar, were given responsibility for designing the other buildings in the temple complex.
Nripendra Misra, chairman of the Ram Temple Construction Committee, inspects the construction work every month.
Champat Rai also referred to arrangements for darshan at the Ram Mandir
A Yatri Seva Kendra has been built on Ram Path opposite Birla Dharamshala, on what was earlier a UP State Road Transport Corporation bus stand; the trust purchased the land and built a two-storey prefabricated structure there.
Since the pran-pratishtha of Ramlala on 22 January 2024, more than 75,000 devotees have been visiting daily, with numbers exceeding 3 lakh a day during the Maha Kumbh.
Eight queues have been set up for Ramlala darshan — one VIP line, one easy-access/wheelchair line and six general lines — each with separate routes to avoid crossing. General darshan continues even during VIP visits, with separate arrangements for the governor, chief minister, Union ministers and judges.
Free wheelchairs are available for devotees with disabilities, and free arrangements are made in the complex for bhajans, kirtans and Sundarkand recitations.
The trust’s bank accounts do not use chequebooks; all payments are made via bank transfer, with no cash payments. The trust holds accounts with SBI, PNB and Bank of Baroda, and its financial transactions undergo both internal and statutory audits, with the statutory audit conducted by Delhi-based firm V. Sankar Aiyar.
