LUCKNOW: While a section of saints is still sulking over non-inclusion in newly-notified Shree Ram Teerthsthan Trust, the reason for keeping Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and VHP vice –president Champat Rai has been their complicity in Babri demolition case which is sub-judice in CBI court.
Both Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and Champat Rai, who were much-expected incumbents for the trust membership, are accused in the criminal case related to the demolition of the mosque on December 6, 19192.
As per the highly-placed sources, the Union home ministry was ready to hand over the reins of the Temple Trust to Mahant Nritya Gopal Das but decided against it at the last moment expecting an opposition backlash. Notably, Nritya Gopal Das had led the temple movement from the front along with the then VHP leadership including its international president Ashok Singhal and other right-wing leaders.
The sources also claimed that the inclusion of both Nritya Gopal Das and Champat Rai could have led the Muslim side move Supreme Court further delaying the process of temple construction.
This fact came to the fore on Thursday morning when the saints of Ayodhya opened a front against the Centre alleging neglect of Ayodhya seers. They called a meeting of Sant Samaj to decide the future course of action. None of the prominent Mahants figures among the first nine permanent members of the 15-member temple trust. The only representative face of the Mahants of Ayodhya has been Mahant Dinendra Das of Nirmohi Akhara.
The inclusion of Dinendra Das came through in compliance of the Supreme Court’s November 9, 2019 order which had provided for the inclusion of Nirmohi Akhara in temple construction.
The sources claimed that responding to the sulking saints of Ayodhya and subsequent protests sent the central home ministry officials into a tizzy. They got in touch with BJP’s political leadership in Ayodhya and also district administration authorities to explain the reason for non-inclusion of prominent saints in the trust in order to placate them.
Even the Home Minister himself pitched in and talked to Mahant Nritya Gopal Das following which he withdrew the call of Sant Samaj meeting.
Nine permanent members of the newly formed trust have been announced. It has been authorised to select two more members after confabulations and voting over the issue. It is being expected that the trust after convening its meeting may include Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and Champat Rai as nominated members.
Besides two IAS officers – one posed in Central government and other in state government—will also be nominated in the trust. The trust will have its headquarters in Delhi but an administration office is likely to be set up in Ayodhya to oversee the temple.
Meanwhile, the secretary of Ramlaya Trust Swami Avimukteshwaranand has aired his displeasure over not being given any position in the trust, chief of Jyotishand Dwarika-Sharda Peeth Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati also expressed his disappointment over the choice of members. He particularly came out against the inclusion of Jyotishpeethadheeshwar Swami Vasudevanand in the trust.