Hindu seer wants RSS chief to head Ram Temple trust

A prominent Ayodhya based Hindu seer on Monday demanded that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat be made the chairman of the Trust for the construction of Ram Temple.

Mahant Paramhans Das, who was associated with the prestigious 'Tapasvi Chavni' in Ayodhya, said in Bhadohi, about 250 kilometres from here, that the RSS chief should be ''ex-officio'' chairman of the Trust.

The supreme court in its judgement in the Ayodhya case recently had directed the central government to set up a Trust to construct the Ram Temple.

''The centre should ensure that whosoever becomes the RSS chief should also head the Ram Temple Trust,'' the Mahant said.

Alleging that Nritya Gopal Das, who was presently the chairman of the existing Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, indulged in ''corrupt practices'', the Mahant said that the RSS should be entrusted with the task of Ram Temple construction at Ayodhya.

Earlier former BJP MP and Hindu seer Ram Vilas Vedanti had also expressed his desire to head the proposed Trust.

The tussle among the seers for a place in the proposed Trust had a taken an ugly turn, when Paramhans Das apprehended threat to his life from Nritya Gopal Das.

''Nritya Gopal Das wants to kill me....the government should give me security...I shall not return to Ayodhya until I feel safe,'' Paramhans had said a few days back in a video message from an unknown place.

Paramhans Das has since left Ayodhya and vowed to return only after he felt safe. The supporters of Nritya Gopal Das have threatened him with serious consequences if he did not apologise for his alleged remarks.

A section of the seers has also asked UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to join the proposed Trust as a member.