Ram temple in Ayodhya: Parasaran first trustee, 15-member Trust office has his home address

Sources said the Trust will operate from the residence of Parasaran. However, the Board of Trustees shall, in the first meeting, decide on a permanent office of the Trust which may also be moved as the trustees may deem fit.

Parasaran, 92, who represented the Hindu side in the Ayodhya case, was nominated as member of Rajya Sabha in 2012 during the UPA Government. He has also served as Attorney General under two Congress Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi between 1983 and 1989.

Sources said that the Trust has members from across the country. Parasaran is the first trustee among the 15.

Other trustees include: Prayagraj-based Jagatguru Shankaracharya Jyotishpeethadheeshwar Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati ji Maharaj; Jagatguru Madhavacharya Swami Vishwa Prashannatheerth ji Maharaj, Pejawar Math, Udupi; Haridwar-based Yugpurush Paramanand Ji Maharaj, guru of Sadhvi Rithambhara who played a key role in the Ayodhya movement; and Swami Govinddev Giri Ji Maharaj, Pune.

Keshav Parasaran being felicitated in Ayodhya.

Two local residents have also been included: Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, a member of the royal family of Ayodhya; and Anil Mishra, a homeopathic doctor based in Ayodhya.

Kameshwar Chaupal, who did the first shila pujan in1989, will be the first Dalit trustee.

The Trust will also include one prominent person who shall be a practising Hindu to be nominated by the Board of Trustees, said sources.

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Mahant Dhirendra Das will represent Nirmohi Akhara in the Trust.

Of the 15 trustees, only 11 will have right to vote in the meeting. The non-voting trustees will include: two representatives nominated by the Central Government (a practising Hindu and a serving IAS officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary) and by the Uttar Pradesh government (a practising Hindu and a serving IAS officer not below the rank of Secretary in the state government); the district collector of Ayodhya; and Chairman of the Committee for the development and administration of matters relating to the Ram Temple Complex.

Describing the Cabinet decision to establish the Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust as historic, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar said that whatever the Supreme Court decided unanimously has been now implemented in time and “we are very sure a magnificent temple will come very soon.”

He added: “The Prime Minister has appreciated the (manner in which) the people of India welcomed the solution of a vexed problem for 500 years in a very mature manner.”

When asked if the announcement would have an impact on the Delhi assembly election, Javadekar said: “This is the decision taken for building temple in Ayodhya…it has nothing to do with Delhi…The whole country is not under election. Let’s not confuse the situation.”

“In compliance with the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, possession of the inner and outer courtyards of the disputed site shall be handed over to the said Trust and the Central Government is at liberty to make suitable provisions in respect to the rest of the acquired land by handing it over to the said Trust for management and development in terms of the Scheme framed by the Central Government”, said the notification issued by the Home Ministry.

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“Taking into account past history of communal disturbances and possible scenarios relating to public order, law and order and concerns relating to communal harmony and security and considering the large number of pilgrims visiting the land acquired under the said Act throughout the year and keeping in mind the essential amenities that would require to be provided for the increase in number of pilgrims who will be visiting the temple from all across the world in future, the Central Government, after consultation with the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, decides to effectuate the allotment of a suitable land admeasuring five acres to Sunni Central Waqf Board at a prominent place in Ayodhya, outside the land acquired under the said Act”, it added.