Lucknow: Calling the alleged theft of donations at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple “extremely painful,” Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international president Alok Kumar on Thursday said that the accused, irrespective of their stature, should be booked under stringent charges and sent to jail to restore the faith of devotees.“This is painful for every Ram bhakt, every Hindu,” Kumar told TOI. He said the probe reached a crucial stage, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) identifying some suspects. “If this has happened, it calls for the registration of an FIR. Investigations must be conducted properly, without sparing anyone,” he said.Kumar pitched for swift legal action, including day-to-day hearings in a fast-track court. “Hum chahenge ki agle chaar mahine mein saza ho aur doshi jail mein hon. Tabhi Hindu samaj ko shanti milegi,” he said.His remarks came a day after the three-member SIT, constituted by the state govt at the request of the temple trust, submitted its preliminary report. The contents of the report have been kept confidential.The VHP’s stance is significant as the organisation has not dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. Sources said the RSS affiliate favours transparency to safeguard the credibility of the Ram Temple project and the broader Hindutva movement built over decades.The issue was also discussed at the VHP’s Central Advisory Board meeting in Haridwar last week, where members flagged alleged irregularities in donations and suggested scrutiny of other trusts that collected funds or gold in the name of the Ram Mandir.During his recent visit to Ayodhya, chief minister Yogi Adityanath assured the people that the guilty would not be spared and urged them to wait for another 15 days.Meanwhile, the VHP has postponed its Central Management Committee meeting, scheduled to be held in Ayodhya from June 26 to 29, citing “inevitable circumstances” linked to the controversy. National spokesperson Vinod Bansal said fresh dates and the venue would be announced later.
