Owaisi attacks Ayodhya Ram Mandir trust; says "man accused of demolishing Babri rewarded"

Attacking the members of Ram Temple Trust of Ayodhya, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has alleged that those who demolished Babri Masjid are being rewarded. Taking a dig at the Central government, Owaisi said that this is "New India" where "criminals are rewarded." He went on to add that the Supreme Court had called Babri demolition a 'national shame' and that the formation of Trust with such people is a "sequel." The AIMIM chief is targeting Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and Champat Rai who have been named as members of Ram Temple Trust and are accused in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.

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Accused in Babri Masjid demotion case

Mahant Nritya Gopal Das chief of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, has been named president of the Trust and Champat Rai, who is VHP vice president has been named general secretary. Both are accused in the criminal case of 1992 Babri Masjid demolition.  In 2017 the Supreme Court had merged two cases, one against the kar sevaks who destroyed the mosque and those who instigated them – state vs Pawan Pandey and others, and state vs LK Advani. Das and Rai were accused in the State vs Pawan Pandey case under Sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 395 (dacoity), 397 (Robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house) 153 A (promoting hate and enmity on grounds of religion) and 153 B (assertions prejudicial to national integration) of the Indian Penal Code. The case is pending in the apex court and they are currently out on bail. Incidentally, Nripendra Misra another member of Trust was the principal secretary to the UP CM Kalyan Singh during Babri demolition. 

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The Ram Mandir Trust

On February 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of 'Shri Ram Janambhoomi Tirath Kshetra', which would oversee the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, nearly three months after the Supreme Court ruling in the decades-old case. In the first meeting of the ‘Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra' trust on Wednesday, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and Champat Rai were elected as the President and General Secretary respectively. However, the appointment that has garnered the most buzz is that of Nripendra Misra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s former Principal Secretary. He will head the Ram temple construction committee.

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