Advocates Karunesh Kumar Shukla and Shishir Chaturvedi, who were part of the legal team engaged in a court battle for ‘Ram Janmabhoomi’, filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to nominate representatives of Central and state governments belonging to Sunni Muslims in the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation Trust. The trust was set up to carry out construction work and manage affairs of a mosque and cultural centre in the five-acre alternate plot at Dhannipur in Ayodhya. The plot was granted to the Muslim side by the apex court while clearing the decks for the Ram temple.
The petition, filed through advocate Hari Shankar Jain, stated that it is expected that ‘Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation Trust’ will get donations from various places including foreign countries and several people who may visit the said place in Ayodhya. It is the government’s duty to control any malpractice and ensure that money received by the trust is not misused.
“It is being felt among various residents of Ayodhya that in the public interest there should be some representation of central and state government nominees in the trust created by U.P. Sunni Central Waqf Board. The trust will have contributions from foreign countries also and Ayodhya being a sensitive place will require a strict vigilante and supervision to maintain public peace and control the misuse of funds given to the trust. In these circumstances, this petition is being filed in the larger public interest,” added the plea.
The plea also stated that it is expected that the Islamic trust will also start construction activities in the near future. It has come to the knowledge that contributions from foreign countries are being given to the trust. The plea further added, “It’s every Indian desire that there should be peace and tranquillity in Ayodhya as well as proper management of the funds and the property vested in the Islamic trust.”
The lawyers raised a question that when central and state government nominees are part of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust set up for the construction and management of Shri Ram temple in Ayodhya, why no such representatives are made mandatory for the Islamic trust.
It is in the public interest that the central and state government may have all relevant information about the working of the trust to maintain public order and ensure that no malpractices take place. Also, the funds are not misutilised or misappropriated by any trust, said the plea.
The petitioner said that in these circumstances it is necessary that the central government may be directed to make provision for the nomination of the officers of the government in the Islamic trust which was done for the Hindu trust.