Uttar Pradesh17 hours agoAuthor: Santosh Singh
Differences have emerged within the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust over the appointment of its next General Secretary, with the RSS and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) backing different candidates for the post.
Krishna Mohan, who is currently serving as the Acting General Secretary, is reportedly the RSS’s preferred choice, with several office-bearers supporting his candidature.
However, a section of the Trust members has proposed the name of VHP International General Secretary Bajrang Lal Bagra for the position.
Decision on three vacant posts deferred until September
The Trust also failed to reach a consensus on two other vacant positions, with the names of litterateur Yatindra Mohan Mishra, Ayodhya saint Raghavacharya and Mithilesh Nandini Sharan under consideration.
While some members have backed Yatindra Mohan Mishra, others have expressed support for Mithilesh Nandini Sharan. With no agreement emerging, the Trust has decided to defer all three appointments to allow time for wider consultations.
According to sources, efforts are underway to build a consensus, and the final decision is expected to be announced during the Trust’s meeting scheduled for September 2.
A trust meeting was held on July 22 at Saryu Guest House in Ayodhya. Media coverage was prohibited. After the meeting, Treasurer Govind Dev Giri briefed about the meeting.
Trust meeting convened to fill General Secretary and member vacancies
The July 22 meeting of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was convened primarily to appoint a new General Secretary and fill vacant positions within the Trust.
Acting General Secretary Krishna Mohan had issued the meeting notice to all Trust members on July 7. According to the notice, the meeting was scheduled to be held in two phases.
No consensus despite discussion on five names
The first session, which began at 3 pm, focused on filling the vacant posts. Trust members discussed the proposed candidates, with the understanding that appointments would be announced only if a consensus was reached.
During the hour-long deliberations on Wednesday, five names were considered for the vacant positions. However, the members failed to arrive at a unanimous decision, prompting the Trust to defer the appointments until a broader consensus is achieved.
RSS, VHP lobby for their candidates in closed-door discussions
The RSS reportedly made behind-the-scenes efforts to build consensus over all three vacant positions in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
According to sources, the exercise was coordinated by RSS Eastern Region Pracharak Anil Kumar, who held a confidential meeting with key Trust members to discuss a strategy for securing support for the Sangh’s preferred candidates.
The Trust meeting began at 3 pm at Maniram Cantonment under the chairmanship of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das. Deliberations centred on appointing a new General Secretary and filling vacant Trust member positions.
VHP stakes claim to General Secretary’s post
During the meeting, some members proposed confirming Acting General Secretary Krishna Mohan, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer and former regional coordinator for Eastern Uttar Pradesh, as the permanent General Secretary.
However, differences soon emerged. While one section argued that the post should now go to an RSS nominee, others maintained that the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), which played a key role in the Ram Temple movement, deserved to retain the position.
VHP International General Secretary Bajrang Lal Bagra’s name was formally proposed for the post. Bagra, who had attended the Trust’s July 7 meeting, had also arrived in Ayodhya ahead of the July 22 meeting.
Despite sustained efforts to secure approval for his candidature, the members failed to reach a consensus, leaving the appointment unresolved.
Trust defers appointments after disagreement over two member posts
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust also failed to finalise appointments to two vacant member positions, with multiple names emerging during the discussions.
One vacancy arose after Dr. Anil Mishra resigned on June 26 following the donation theft controversy, while the other was created after the death of Ayodhya’s titular king, Bimalendra Mohan Pratap Mishra. Differences among the Trust members prevented a final decision on either post.
Three names proposed, consensus remains elusive
As both vacancies had previously been held by residents of Ayodhya, members agreed that the new appointees should also be from the temple town.
Mahant Dinendra Das of the Nirmohi Akhara proposed the name of litterateur Yatindra Mohan Mishra, son of the late Bimalendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, describing him as an honest and widely respected figure with a literary background.
The names of Ayodhya saints Raghavacharya and Mithilesh Nandini Sharan were also put forward.
Raghavacharya serves as the President of the Ramlala Sadan Devasthan Trust and the Peethadhishwar of Shridham Math, Ramvarnashram, while Mithilesh Nandini Sharan is regarded as a respected scholar and is considered close to both the RSS and the VHP.
With three candidates in contention for two positions, the Trust could not reach a consensus and decided to postpone the appointments until a broader agreement is achieved.
Trust aims to finalise appointments at September 2 meeting
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is expected to take a final decision on filling its vacant posts at the next meeting, likely to be held on September 2.
Speaking to the media after the July 22 meeting, Trust Treasurer Govind Dev Giri said the appointments had been deferred and would be finalised in the next round of deliberations. By then, the Trust is also expected to shortlist three candidates for the post of its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
This is the same letter that the Trust sent to its members to inform them about the meeting to be held on July 22.
Focus shifts to building consensus on remaining vacancies
According to sources, there is relatively little disagreement over the candidature of Bajrang Lal Bagra for the General Secretary’s post. The main challenge lies in reaching a consensus on the two vacant Trust member positions.
The Trust plans to continue consultations over the next two weeks and will take a final decision only after a broad agreement is achieved. If consensus remains elusive, the appointments may be decided through a formal vote among the Trust members.
