Nritya Gopal invited to Ayodhya Trust's first meet today

NEW DELHI: The trust established for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya has invited Ram Janam Bhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das to its first meeting on Wednesday as a ‘special invitee’.

The invite comes amid discontent among saints of Ayodhya, who say the trust does not have adequate representation from those who led the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

At least two trustees told ET that they will be proposing Das’ name for inclusion in the trust.


Das left Ayodhya on Tuesday for Delhi to attend the meeting, which will take place at the official residence of senior SC lawyer and first trustee K Parasaran. “Nritya Gopal Das must be in the trust. I will be proposing his name tomorrow (Wednesday) at the meeting,” trust member Jagatguru Swami Vasudevanand told ET.

As first reported by ET on February 6, the government had reached out to Das and assured him that he would be accommodated on the two vacant spots left in the trust at a later stage. The government did not wish to appoint him directly on the trust, anticipating a legal challenge since Das is an accused in the ongoing Babri Masjid demolition case. Three trustees-—Vasudevanand, Bimlendra Mohan Singh and Anil Mishra-—had met Das in Ayodhya on Monday to invite him for the Wednesday meeting.