Gurugram (Haryana) [India], June 28 (ANI): Amid the Ram Mandir donation row ,International Joint General Secretary of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Surendra Kumar Jain on Sunday slammed SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav and asked has latter 'ever paid' obeisance to Lord Ram.

He also commented on the politics surrounding the controversy and said that Champat Rai step down on moral grounds.

'Champat Rai resigned of his own volition. He acknowledged his moral responsibility. As for those attempting to cast aspersions on him, they ought to look within themselves first. What is the track record of these politicians? How many allegations have been levelled against them? The Trust will decide who is to succeed him, and we will have full faith in whoever is appointed. For now, he has merely tendered his resignation; it has yet to be formally accepted...'

He also slammed Akhilesh Yadav. 'Has he ever gone to pay obeisance to Lord Ram? Had he truly held faith, he would have visited Ram Lalla...'

Earlier in the day, Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government saying that for some, 'donation comes before the nation.'

Taking a dig at the state government, the former Chief Minister also questioned how the alleged irregularities went unnoticed despite Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's frequent visits to Ayodhya.

'For those who put donation first, not nation... the Chief Minister, who was setting a world record for visiting Ayodhya, still didn't get this information even after going there. That's why the proverb was made--'darkness under the lamp' (Chirag tale andhera). How many times has he gone, and yet he has no news of this... It is about the accountability of the government,' Yadav told reporters.

On Friday, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and member trustee Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility for the alleged embezzlement of Ram Mandir donations.

The developments came after a First Information Report was registered on the alleged embezzlement of donations received at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The case has been filed under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 306, 316(5), 317(4), 317(5), 61 and 3(5), on the directions of the Uttar Pradesh government.

Those who have been named in the FIR are: Anukalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Avinash Shukla, Tinnu Yadav, Manish Yadav and others. This comes after allegations were made by former SP MLA from Ayodhya, Pawan Pandey, who claimed that between Rs 7 crore and Rs 7.5 crore in donations were misappropriated from the Ram Mandir. (ANI)