New Delhi:
The Nirmohi Akhara has approached the Supreme Court seeking fresh directions for what it calls the “proper implementation” of the Constitution Bench’s landmark Ayodhya judgment of November 9, 2019.
In a miscellaneous application filed in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, the Akhara has contended that the spirit of the top court’s judgment has not been fully carried out, particularly with regard to the role and representation that the judgment envisaged for the Nirmohi Akhara in the management of the Ram Temple.
The application has been filed by Shri Panch Ramanandi Nirmohi Akhara through its Sarpanch, Mahant Raja Ramchandracharya Ateet Guru Mahant Raghunath Dasji Maharaj, seeking directions to ensure faithful implementation of the 2019 judgment.
It argues that while the Centre constituted the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust pursuant to the Supreme Court’s directions, the scheme framed by the government did not provide the “appropriate role” and “appropriate representation” to the Nirmohi Akhara as contemplated in the judgment.
Relying on paragraphs 804 and 805(4) of the Constitution Bench judgment, the Akhara has submitted that the Supreme Court had specifically directed that an appropriate role in the management of the temple and suitable representation in the trust be given to the Nirmohi Akhara in view of its historical presence at the disputed site.
According to the application, these directions have remained unimplemented despite the passage of several years.
The plea alleges that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has effectively been functioning as a “private trust” without adequate statutory oversight or accountability.
It claims that the existing structure of the trust is inconsistent with the spirit of the Supreme Court’s judgment and seeks its reconstitution as a public trust with structural safeguards and greater transparency.
The Akhara has further argued that it has not received meaningful representation in the trust. It contends that the nomination of a single individual by the Central Government cannot be treated as representation of the Nirmohi Akhara because, under its long-standing Panchayati system, representatives are chosen collectively by the Panchayat and not through unilateral government nomination.
Besides representation on the trust, the application also seeks recognition of what it describes as the Akhara’s traditional role in supervising religious rituals, sewa, bhog, puja and other ceremonies at the Ram Temple. It submits that these religious practices should continue in accordance with the centuries-old Ramanandi traditions historically followed by the Nirmohi Akhara.
The plea also refers to the recent allegations relating to the handling of donations and valuables at the Ram Temple, claiming that the controversy highlights the need for greater accountability in the functioning of the trust.
It cites the reported constitution of an SIT by the Uttar Pradesh Government, the resignation of certain trustees and the arrest of persons allegedly connected with the handling of the trust’s accounts to argue that stronger institutional safeguards are necessary. These are allegations made by the applicant before the Court and have not been adjudicated by the Supreme Court.
In another significant contention, the application questions the replacement of the original deities, asserting that the trust was authorised only to administer the temple and not to substitute the original idols recognised in the Ayodhya litigation. It seeks restoration of the original deities to the sanctum sanctorum or, alternatively, their restoration to the applicant.
The Nirmohi Akhara has ultimately prayed for several directions from the Supreme Court, including reconstitution of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust as a public trust, adequate representation for the Akhara on the Board of Trustees, recognition of its role in religious affairs, formulation of guiding principles for appointment of trustees, restoration of the original deities, appointment of an independent committee to examine implementation of the 2019 judgment, and a forensic audit of the trust’s financial and property-related transactions.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
