Ayodhya: Stating that “theft is theft” and the SIT is currently investigating the Ram Mandir donation row, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Treasurer Swami Govind Dev Giri Ji Maharaj on July 6 hit out over allegations by political parties on the issue, saying “sudden, performative surge of devotion to Ram among those who have historically opposed it is no ordinary phenomenon” and alleged that it is “driven by ulterior motives that the entire Hindu society must recognise”.
Interacting with the media after the meeting of the Ram Mandir Trust, Swami Govind Dev Giri urged followers of Sanatan Dharma to “not give credence to such baseless rhetoric”.
“Those who once fired upon Kar Sevaks and who submitted written statements to the Supreme Court claiming that Bhagwan Ram never existed and that the Ram Setu was never built, are now attempting to lecture us on devotion to Ram. The sudden, performative surge of devotion to Ram among those who have historically opposed it is no ordinary phenomenon; it is extraordinary, driven by ulterior motives that the entire Hindu society must recognise,” he said.
“Their primary objective is to divide us and create a rift within our devotion to Ram. We, however, reaffirm our resolve to uphold and strengthen this devotion and will not allow any division to take root in our society,” he added.
He urged devotees to be aware of “falsehoods and fabrications being spread”.
“I call upon all devotees of Ram and Krishna, all followers of Sanatan Dharma, and all who hold Hindu faith dear: do not give credence to such baseless rhetoric. If you feel something is amiss or missing, come directly to the Trust’s office, schedule a visit, inspect the item in question, and judge for yourselves the extent of the falsehoods and fabrications being spread,” he said.
“This entire charade is orchestrated solely to defame our organisation, malign Ram devotees, and sow discord within Hindu society. We will not let that happen…Justice will prevail, and the guilty will be punished. We have faith in the judicial system; my earnest appeal is do not believe the rumours,” he added.
Swami Govind Dev Giri rejected allegations that high-quality offerings and donated items had vanished.
“Allegations are made that various other high-quality offerings and donated items also vanished without a trace. We have brought the register containing the records of all these items to show you; we will present the details of all the items in question. We are going to display all of these before you today. Furthermore, we wish to inform you that we possess a register listing 2800 such items, and all of them are safe. We have brought these five specific items–which have been the subject of discussion–merely as samples to show you,” he said.
“However, keeping all this in mind, the work we undertake next will be executed in such a manner that no one will be able to find even the slightest fault with it. Our Trust is fully committed to ensuring such impeccable execution, and we have constituted a small committee to appoint specific officials for this purpose; we will continue to advance the work in this way,” he added.
Swami Govind Dev Giri said a meeting of the Trust will be held on June 22.
“We are meeting again on the 22nd. We anticipate that the SIT’s final report will be available to us by that time; we are meeting on the 22nd to deliberate on that report and to appoint additional trustees. We wish to state unequivocally that theft is theft, and the SIT is currently investigating the matter; that is the administration’s responsibility. We, too, strongly urge that the perpetrators be apprehended–including any accomplices who may still be in hiding–and that they receive the punishment they deserve for their crime; we are firm on this point,” he said.
“… We are all hurt and saddened by this. The magnitude of the theft–whether small or large–is a secondary concern; we are primarily distressed by the very fact that such an atmosphere was allowed to develop here. However, the reality is before us, and it is our duty to reflect upon it. Consequently, even before the scheduled date, we gathered today in a state of deep contemplation and sorrow. Given the prevailing circumstances, a critical situation arose: our General Secretary, Champat Rai, and Trustee Anil Ji Mishra submitted their resignations,” he added.
Swami Govind Dev Giri said Champat Rai was deeply pained felt it inappropriate to continue in his role until justice is fully served – the culprits are apprehended and receive appropriate punishment.
“Driven by this sentiment, he tendered his resignation–a matter that was not ours to simply accept or reject. K. Parasaran raised a significant point: under the Trust’s constitution, a resignation is deemed accepted the moment it is submitted,” he said. (With inputs from ANI)
