Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra occupies a unique place in India’s public life. Constituted by the Union government on 5 February 2020, following the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya dispute, it was entrusted with constructing and managing the Ram temple, arguably the most politically significant religious project in independent India.

On 18 October 2023, the trust was granted permission under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act to receive overseas donations through the designated State Bank of India branch on Parliament Street in New Delhi.

Every organisation registered under the FCRA — whether based in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu or Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh — must receive foreign contributions through this single branch. The arrangement leaves practically no room for secrecy. Every remittance is electronically recorded and is instantly accessible to the authorities.

The trust now finds itself facing an uncomfortable situation. A Special Investigation Team has been given additional time to investigate the alleged theft of donations, including gold and silver offerings made by devotees. Two members of the trust — general-secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra — have resigned, while eight employees have been arrested.

There are also reports that Rai had initially set out to file a police complaint but turned back after receiving a telephone call, and that for days the effort was to project that all was well. Investigative agencies such as the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate are now reportedly being considered to probe suspected violations of the FCRA.

If that happens, the implications will extend well beyond Ayodhya.

During the last Budget session of Parliament, the government introduced amendments to the FCRA that would empower designated authorities to attach and confiscate the properties of organisations found violating the Act. Significantly, the proposal does not prescribe any minimum threshold for the alleged violation.

Also Read: Curbing the church, hitting the people

More troubling is the process. A designated authority, who may be as junior as a district magistrate, could........

© National Herald