New Delhi: In another twist to the Ram temple theft case, three-term former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Faizabad and Bajrang Dal founder Vinay Katiyar declared that general secretary Champat Rai, administrative official Gopal Rao and trustee Anil Mishra may have to go to jail in the coming days. In a report in Hindustan Times, Katiyar described the organised looting of funds as a direct attack on the country’s religious culture and a betrayal of the faith of crores of devotees who contributed to the construction.Calling the embezzlement an outright robbery in God’s house, Katiyar demanded that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust be completely reconstituted with honest and capable people. He revealed that he raised the issue directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when the prime minister had called him over phone. While expressing satisfaction that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is actively probing the case, Katiyar noted that visible attempts are still being made behind the scenes to shield certain influential figures within the hierarchy.Also read: ‘Theft In the House of Ram Lalla Means Ravana Has Already Reached’: Nirmohi Akhada Chief Mahant Dinendra DasThe political fallout of the cash theft has forced supporting organisations to aggressively distance themselves from the accused leadership. In a formal interview featured in The Times of India, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) international president Alok Kumar attempted to insulate his organisation from the brewing criminal scandal. When questioned about the moral accountability of the VHP given its historical ties to the temple movement, Kumar shifted all blame onto the executive functionaries by stating, “When Champat ji is trust general secretary, we can’t be blamed for his wrongdoings.”On Katiyar’s statement, Kumar however told news agency ANI, “He [Katiyar] seems really confused… I don’t think he has spoken with a healthy mind and brain. His words make him seem confused. There is some issue with him.”Kumar acknowledged that the theft of public donations is a severe moral blemish that has deeply hurt the faith of the 12.5 crore families who financed the project. While he confirmed that the under-fire leaders have stepped down from their duties to prevent witness tampering and evidence manipulation, the demand for structural accountability continues to grow.“Television news channels have, surprisingly, pursued the alleged embezzlement story with unusual vigour,” reports Deccan Herald. “Equally striking has been the absence of BJP national spokespersons from these debates, leaving the scrutiny focused almost entirely on the RSS and the VHP rather than on the government,” the newspaper notes.