Slamming the strategy behind the leadership transition at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, activist and political analyst Ayushman Pandey said appointing a retired Air Marshal as the trust’s first CEO was a calculated move to deflect scrutiny.
“They are trying to evade accountability and responsibility by saying that, see, now we have brought in somebody who is well respected, well decorated,” Pandey said on an episode of Capital Beat.
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He argued that Armed Forces officers are trained for external border defence, not for managing internal administrative controversies.
Military officers in civilian rules
Pandey went further, warning of long-term damage to the reputation of retired military officials being drawn into contentious civilian roles. “They are going to use Armed Forces now. They are going to use the officers. They are going to use their training for their own career purposes,” he said, adding that control over temple finances and institutional charities remains an ongoing agenda that risks tarnishing the standing of decorated officers.
The remarks came after the trust on Wednesday announced the appointment of retired Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra — who commanded the Western Air Command during Operation Sindoor — as its chief executive officer. Mishra, from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh, was picked after a high-powered committee screened 5,585 applicants.
‘Politicisation of army under BJP govt’
Defence analyst Maj Gen Ashok K Mehta (Retd) said the trend was not new. “The politicisation of the Army started from the very day the BJP government came into power, that is, 2014,” he said. He noted that even a lieutenant general had applied for the CEO post, comparing the rush for such positions to scaling the Himalayan peaks, and said many now saw such appointments as a route to “higher posts and higher grades.” He cited past instances of military leaders resisting political pressure — including a former Army Chief’s refusal to send water trucks to a political rally, and another’s decision to keep troops away from the Babri Masjid in 1992 — as a contrast to current trends.
Pandey pointed to other examples of military resources being deployed in civilian matters, including the use of military helicopters to transport NEET examination papers.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sarvesh Tripathi called the move an “image-repair” exercise. “This is now trend is going very viral in BJP… They are just trying the party purification of trust now with uniform colour,” he said, tracing the pattern back to earlier military-linked publicity efforts such as promotion of the Agniveer scheme.
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He said Mishra’s real test would be whether the trust’s chain of command could be freed from RSS influence, and whether he could help identify those responsible for alleged irregularities in temple donations.
Questions over selection process
Senior journalist Sharat Pradhan questioned the selection process itself, noting that of 5,585 applicants, only 30 were shortlisted — a list that included former general secretary Champat Rai. “The manner in which he has been selected in courts to head this trust itself shows that there’s no transparency,” he said.
He alleged the financial concerns extended well beyond donation collections into land dealings, claiming some properties had seen valuations rise twentyfold within hours, allegedly involving local officials and trust representatives.