Lucknow: Sanjay Singh, Rajya Sabha MP and Uttar Pradesh in-charge of the Aam Aadmi Party held a press conference in Lucknow and leveled serious allegations regarding land purchases linked to the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Presenting what he described as 13 new documentary pieces of evidence, Singh alleged financial irregularities in land transactions carried out by the temple trust and announced that he would write to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) seeking an appointment to submit the documents and related evidence.
Singh accused Champat Rai, General Secretary of the temple trust, of wrongdoing and demanded a thorough investigation into the transactions. He also questioned why the Central Government had not taken action against the trust, alleging that land parcels were purchased at prices significantly higher than prevailing market rates.
During the press conference, Singh presented details of several land transactions, claiming that plots were acquired at amounts ranging from multiple times to more than ten times their estimated market values. He cited specific land records and transaction details, alleging that trust funds were misused through inflated purchases.
The AAP leader further claimed that concerns regarding financial management within the trust had been raised by individuals associated with the organization. He argued that merely stepping down from an administrative position would not address the issues and called for a comprehensive inquiry into the trust’s functioning.
Referring to earlier complaints, Singh said he had submitted documents to Ayodhya police in 2021 seeking action on the matter. He alleged that no FIR had been registered despite the evidence he claimed to have provided. He also referred to statements and concerns raised by various religious leaders, former officials, and public figures regarding the temple project and related land acquisitions.
Apart from the temple-related allegations, Singh commented on several political issues. On the use of ethanol-blended fuel, he questioned government policies and challenged BJP leaders to exclusively use higher ethanol-blend fuel in their official vehicles if they were confident it posed no technical problems.
He also criticized a recent political event involving a performer dressed as Hanuman, calling it disrespectful to religious sentiments. Additionally, he accused the BJP of diverting public attention from the temple land controversy by focusing on political debates surrounding visits to Ayodhya and other unrelated issues.
Addressing the state government’s renaming initiatives, Singh alleged that such moves were aimed at political symbolism rather than addressing substantive public concerns.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and representatives of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had not immediately responded to the latest allegations at the time of filing this report. The claims made by Sanjay Singh have not been independently verified.
