The top leadership of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has decided to pack off Ram Janmabhoomi Trust general secretary Champat Rai from Ayodhya and entrust him with a new responsibility away from the epicentre. In a last-ditch effort, Champat Rai had told RSS leaders that the management edifice in Ram Temple could collapse if he was removed from the complex, but RSS leaders have already made alternative arrangements.
Both Champat Rai and Anil Mishra were first asked to step down, and two names have been cleared as replacements. The announcement will be made after the Trust meeting on July 6. The noose of SIT probe will be tightened once Champat Rai and Anil Mishra are removed from the Trust. Already police has recorded Champat Rai’s statement, and soon Anil Mishra and Gopal Rao will be questioned.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday advised swayamsevaks to shun ego. He said, “an egotist not only harms himself but also brings a bad name to the organization”. No need to explain whom he was referring to. Already RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders are unhappy with media reporting about Champat Rai. Their view is, Champat Rai served the organization for 35 years and he spent almost his entire life for the cause of Ram temple. But his supporters must explain why he started changing after work began on building the Ram Lalla temple.
Champat Rai became more and more stubborn and he made Ram Mandir his ‘showroom’. He prevented others from interfering with temple management. He kept a tight leash on temple keys, locks, accounts and day-to-day management. People have seen him shouting at others over minor misdemeanors. These were clear signs of a bloated ego.
For the last one and a half year, the RSS top leadership had been prodding him to appoint some professionals to look after the temple, but Champat Rai procrastinated. The name of a CEO was almost finalized, but Champat Rai obstructed saying the late Nanaji Deshmukh had once prevented that person from being appointed to a post several decades ago. When the can of worms opened about theft of temple donation, Champat Rai did not involve anybody in the investigation. He himself took on the role of police, investigator and court – all in one. He went out to recover the stolen cash and tried to cover up by claiming that these were minor cases of theft.
How can anybody defend Champat Rai who has hurt the sentiments of millions of Sri Ram devotees across the world? Shouldn’t the person who made Ram Mandir a showroom and openly allowed theft of donation money be shown the door? Can the reputation of RSS be put on stake because of the stubbornness and ego of an individual? As far as politics is concerned, Akhilesh Yadav has got a readymade issue in hand, but his compulsion is that the Ram Temple was built after demolition of Babri mosque. How can he visit that place now?
For Yogi Adityanath, the probe into the massive theft of donation money from Ram Lalla Mandir is a big challenge. Yogi must ensure the recovery of stolen money. He must raze the properties of thieves with bulldozers and move the courts for punishing the sinners. As of now, Yogi’s record is quite clear. He is not going to leave anyone go unpunished.
Delhi EV policy : A step in the right direction
Delhi government will implement its new electric vehicle policy from tomorrow, July 1. It will remain in force till March 31, 2030. Delhi government will spend Rs 15,000 crore on subsidies and exemptions. Those buying new EV vehicles up to Rs 30 lakh will be exempted from paying road tax and registration charges. Subsidy up to Rs 30,000 will be given to anybody buying an electric scooter or motorcycle in Delhi. Subsidy up to Rs 50,000 will be given to those buying electric three-wheelers.
Those giving their old vehicles as scrap while purchasing electric vehicle will get incentive up to Rs 1 lakh. Delhi government has announced that registration of all three-wheelers run by petrol, diesel or CNG will cease from January 1 next year. Only electric three-wheelers will be registered. From April, 2028, only EV two-wheelers will be sold in Delhi.
The new EV policy is good. There is no other way out to tackle air pollution caused by vehicles. Yet people are still wary of buying electric vehicles for several reasons. Many Delhiites feel that EVs are not suitable for long-distance travel because of lack of charging stations on the road. Secondly, EV car technology and designs undergo changes frequently.
Any EV model becomes outdated after a few years. Thirdly, questions have been raised about EV technology. There are several videos viral on social media that show EVs stop on the road, once any defect arises in the electrical circuit. Fourthly, there are not enough trained technicians who can handle EVs. My view is that such teething troubles do arise whenever a new technology is introduced. Solving these problems and making electric vehicles cheaper vis-à-vis petrol and diesel cars will be a step in the right direction.