Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad on Tuesday, 1 September sharply criticised the ongoing process to select the first Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, asserting that the Trust had been sidelined in the matter and renewing his party's demand for a High Court-supervised committee to oversee the appointment. The remarks came as a selection panel was set to submit three shortlisted names to the Trust on the same day.

What Awadhesh Prasad Said

Speaking to reporters, Prasad said the selection report carried no legitimacy because the Trust itself had not been granted authority in the process. 'Whatever has happened has no meaning, and the Trust has not been given any authority in this matter. We have said this many times, and our leader Akhilesh ji has also said that a committee should have been constituted under the supervision of the High Court, because this is a major issue,' he said.

Prasad also alleged that the process was designed to shield those responsible for lapses at the temple. 'Those who are responsible and accountable should be held responsible. This incident has happened to protect those who are responsible, and there is no meaning to this report. The entire country will one day raise its voice against this, and the Bharatiya Janata Party and its associates will have to face the consequences,' he added.

The CEO Selection Process

A formal search committee was constituted to identify the Trust's first CEO. The panel held its inaugural meeting on 11 July, during which it finalised the eligibility criteria for the post and subsequently invited applications from interested candidates.

The selection committee — comprising retired Justice Pramod Kohli, retired Lieutenant General Vishnu Kant Chaturvedi, and expert member Suresh Hawade — arrived in Ayodhya ahead of the scheduled submission. The final report of the selection process is to be submitted to the Trust at the Ram Janmabhoomi premises, with trustees expected to announce the name of the first CEO at an important meeting on Wednesday.

A series of meetings is scheduled to begin at 2 pm on Wednesday at Maniramdas Cantonment, where several key decisions concerning the Trust are likely to be taken.

Context: Vacancies and the Theft Controversy

The appointment of a CEO comes against the backdrop of the reported theft of offerings at the Ram Temple — an incident that triggered political and public scrutiny of the Trust's internal oversight. The Trust is also expected to formally fill another vacant official position during the Wednesday meeting.

Two senior positions fell vacant following the resignations of Champat Rai and Anil Mishra, who had served as office-bearers of the Ram Temple Trust. The simultaneous departure of both figures has added urgency to the Trust's governance agenda.

Political Significance

The Samajwadi Party's intervention signals that the Ram Temple Trust's administrative affairs are increasingly becoming a political flashpoint. The SP's demand for High Court oversight reflects a broader opposition argument that the Trust — which manages one of India's most prominent religious sites — requires independent institutional accountability rather than executive-led appointments. The BJP has not formally responded to Prasad's latest remarks.