Bring Ram Janmabhoomi Trust Under RTI, CPI(M) Leader Urges Government

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha leader John Brittas has urged the government to bring the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust within the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, arguing that its autonomy should not shield it from public accountability.

In a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, Brittas said the trust, created through a government-approved scheme pursuant to a Supreme Court judgment, cannot be deemed beyond RTI merely because it is described as autonomous. He noted that the trust was vested with land acquired under a parliamentary law and has serving IAS officers nominated as government representatives.

Referring to a June 2025 Central Information Commission (CIC) order that held the trust not a 'public authority' under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, Brittas said the CIC relied heavily on the Home Ministry's stance. He urged the ministry to review its position.

Brittas argued that the issue transcends a single RTI application, raising broader questions about whether such a trust should remain outside the accountability framework. He pointed out that the trust's origins are linked to governmental action following the Supreme Court's November 2019 Ayodhya verdict. The Centre framed the trust's governing scheme under the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act, 1993, constituted the trust, and vested it with acquired land via gazette notification.

He highlighted that of the trust's 15 members, 12 were initially nominated by the government, and three were chosen during its first meeting. He questioned the CIC's interpretation that the trust was not established by government notification because the notification complied with a Supreme Court directive. 'Section 2(h)(d) does not distinguish between a notification issued pursuant to a judicial direction and one issued independently,' he said.

Brittas also contested the CIC's conclusion that the trust is neither owned, controlled, nor substantially financed by the government, arguing that Section 2(h)(d) independently covers bodies constituted through government notification.

He noted the presence of serving government officials in the trust's governance, including nominees of the central and Uttar Pradesh governments and the Ayodhya district magistrate. The Centre's current representative is an additional secretary in the Home Ministry. 'If the trust is entirely private, why does the government consider it necessary to have continuing representation?' he asked.

The trust administers land acquired under a parliamentary law and receives donations from devotees, creating public expectations of transparency in governance, finance, and contracts. Drawing a comparison with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Brittas said religious autonomy and public accountability can coexist.

He urged the Home Ministry to comprehensively review its position on the RTI Act's applicability to the trust.