Kejriwal asks PM Modi who Is being shielded in Ram Temple donation case

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday sought answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged Ram temple donations embezzlement case in Ayodhya, claiming only "pawns" were arrested in the matter and "powerful" persons involved in it were being protected.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal charged that there was a lot of corruption involved in the purchase of land and the construction of the temple as well as donations offered by devotees. "It cannot be accepted that all this was going on and the prime minister was unaware of it," he said.

The Ram Mandir Trust office bearers were handpicked by the prime minister himself. A home ministry officer is also part of the Trust, he said, questioning why the prime minister "did not act to stop the theft".

"They are hoodwinking us with the arrest of the eight persons; the real people (culprits) are someone else. These eight are merely pawns. I want to ask the PM whom he is saving and why," he said.

Kejriwal also trained guns at UP Chief Minister Adityanath, saying why he was not using bulldozers to demolish the houses of those who allegedly committed theft of donations and hurt the sentiments of crores of people.

The AAP convenor alleged that private persons sold land worth Rs 14 crore for Rs 95 crore to the temple Trust, and there were claims of commission taken in construction work.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government submitted its preliminary findings on June 23, following which an FIR was registered on June 25 and eight persons associated with the temple's donation-counting process were arrested.

Investigators also recorded the statement of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai, who recently offered to resign, taking "moral responsibility". His resignation would be considered for formal acceptance in a meeting of the Trust scheduled on July 6. PTI