Champat Rai Wiki, Age, Caste, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Champat Rai is an Indian politician who served as the General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra in 2024. Additionally, he holds the position of Vice President in the Vishva Hindu Parishad.

Wiki/Biography

Champat Rai Bansal ^[1]The Times of India was born on Monday, 18 November 1946 (age 77 years; as of 2023) in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. His zodiac sign is Scorpio. Rai was fascinated by the beliefs of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since childhood. He joined the organization and actively engaged in its work, dedicating himself to promoting its ideas.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 10″

Hair Colour: Grey (Semi-Bald)

Eye Colour: Black

Family

Parents & Siblings

Anand’s father’s name is Rameshwar Prasad Bansal and his mother’s name is Savitri Devi. He has nine siblings. One of his brother’s names is Sanjay Bansal.

Wife & Children

Anand is unmarried.

Religion

Anand follows Hinduism.

Signature

Career

Once he finished his education, he became a chemistry professor at RSM Degree College in Bijnor. In 1975, during the Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi, Champat was arrested by the police for his connections with the RSS. In an interview, one of his associates recalled the incident and said,

He was giving a chemistry lecture in the college when a police team arrived to arrest him. Rai told them to wait until he finished the lecture. Such was his stature that cops agreed and took him away only after the class.”

He spent 18 months in jail and was moved from one prison to another. After being released, he resigned from his job as a lecturer. Champat then joined the Vishva Hindu Parishad to support the temple movement. In the Awadh region, he played a role in inspiring young people to participate in the temple movement.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad

In 1991, he took on the role of Regional Organization Minister in Ayodhya. On 6 December 1992, he participated as a Karsevak when the Babri Masjid was demolished. In 1996, he was elected as the Union Minister of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). In 2002, he became the Joint General Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and later advanced to become the International General Secretary.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust

From the initiation ceremony of the grand Ram temple on 5 August 2020 to the completion of the mandir, Rai played a key role in the gradual construction of the temple as the general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. In an interview in 2022, he talked about the construction of the temple and said,

The temple will be opened to devotees in January 2024 after the installation of idols of Ram Lalla in the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine on the festival of Makar Sankranti. An estimated Rs 1,800 crore will be spent on building the Ram temple.”

Champat Rai’s Instagram post about the construction of Ram temple

Controversy

On 20 June 2021, the Bijnor Police in Uttar Pradesh took legal action against journalist Vineet Narain and two others. The action was prompted by allegations in a Facebook post claiming Champat’s involvement in a land acquisition case. Sanjay Bansal, Rai’s brother, filed a complaint against Narain, his associate Rajnish, and an NRI woman named Alka Lahoti. The accusation is that they conspired to make false statements against Rai, causing emotional distress to millions of Hindus across the country. A total of 15 sections of the Indian Penal Code and three sections of the IT Act have been invoked against Narain, including IPC 153A (promoting enmity enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 293 (circulating obscene objects), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 448 (punishment for house-trespass), and 465 (punishment for forgery). The FIR read,

All that was said in the post were false and fabricated. Vineet Narain has hatched a conspiracy with Alka and the other accused against the family. The sentiments of crores of Hindus have been hurt and there is a possibility of social order being disturbed.”

The police gave a clean chit to Champat and his brothers. Bijnor Police posted a video on Twitter, where Dharm Veer Singh, SP Bijnor said,

The allegations against Champat Rai appear to be baseless. Even the allegations against his family members appear to have no authenticity. Police are investigating all aspects.” ^[2]The Indian Express

Facts/Trivia

• The media know him as ‘Encyclopaedia of Ayodhya’ and ‘Record Keeper of Ram Lalla’. ^[3]The Times of India

• Due to his in-depth understanding of the streets and history of the temple town, Rai is known as the “encyclopedia of Ayodhya.” Throughout the intense legal disputes regarding the Ramjanmabhoomi case, Rai regularly aided the lawyers representing the Hindu side by presenting documentary evidence concerning the residence of Ram Lalla.

• On 22 January 2024, during the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, he highlighted and expressed gratitude for the substantial contributions received from different states and individuals for the event. In the speech, he said,
  

  Marble sourced from Bharatpur, Rajasthan, forms the sturdy foundation of the temple, symbolising the timeless beauty of Indian craftsmanship. The soil, an essential element in any sacred construction, was specially collected from Chhattisgarh while granite came from both Telangana and Karnataka and white marble was brought from Rajasthan.”

  

  Champat Rai during Pran Pratishtha ceremony