Ram Temple Trust Gets First CEO, But Appointment Triggers Fresh Row Over Donation Theft & Accountability

Lucknow: The appointment of retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra as the first CEO of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has triggered a political row, with Opposition leaders questioning the handling of an earlier alleged temple donation theft case and demanding accountability from those who managed the trust at the time.

Critics Hit Out

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was among the strongest critics, questioning why employees arrested in the alleged case remained in custody while senior figures were given clean chits following a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe.

"If the big people have got a clean chit, then why are the small employees still in jail? Get them released too," Yadav told reporters in Saharanpur.

Yadav said the controversy over the temple's financial management had hurt the sentiments of devotees. He also questioned the sequence of events after the SIT inquiry, pointing out that an FIR was registered and arrests were made before some individuals were subsequently given clean chits.

"Faith goes even beyond credibility. A major blow has been dealt to faith and devotion by the BJP. Whoever takes over will bear a huge responsibility," he said.

Congress leader and law maker Aradhana Mishra said the matter went beyond a conventional corruption allegation because it involved offerings made by devotees. She questioned what action was taken after the SIT investigation and alleged that junior employees were arrested while those responsible for managing the temple at the time escaped accountability.

Congress leader Nana Patole also criticised the appointment of a CEO, saying the administration of the temple should have been entrusted to saints and seers rather than political or government-linked figures.

SP Rajya Sabha MP Ramjilal Suman questioned the decision to restructure the trust and appoint a CEO without addressing allegations concerning its earlier functioning.

"New committees are being formed and a new CEO is being appointed, but what has the government done against those who committed the earlier wrongdoing?" Suman said.

He demanded an inquiry either by a sitting Supreme Court judge or through a joint parliamentary committee, alleging that the state-appointed SIT had failed to establish accountability in the matter.

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) spokesperson Anish Gawande also questioned the circumstances surrounding Mishra's appointment and raised allegations concerning the earlier management of the trust.

Gawande referred to a letter attributed to former trust general secretary Champat Rai and questioned the status of allegations involving Nripendra Mishra, the former chairman of the temple construction committee.

The criticism has also come from religious quarters.

Jagatguru Balak Das Devacharya Maharaj, head of Patalpuri Math in Varanasi, opposed the appointment of a CEO to oversee the temple trust and argued that religious institutions should function under the guidance of saints and seers.

He said an administrator could be equipped to handle operational responsibilities but might not have the same understanding of religious rituals, traditions and practices.

Mishra's appointment is aimed at strengthening the administrative functioning of the trust and bringing professional management to the temple complex. However, the decision has now triggered a broader debate over accountability within the trust and the balance between professional administration and traditional religious leadership.