Cockpit To Ayodhya: The Op Sindoor Veteran Who Will Head Ram Temple Trust - NDTV

**Cockpit To Ayodhya: The Op Sindoor Veteran Who Will Head the Ram Temple Trust**

Retired Air Marshal **Jeetendra Mishra**, a former Indian Air Force commander who once flew fighter jets from the cockpit of a MiG‑21, has been appointed the first chief executive officer of the newly restructured **Ram Janmabhoomi Trust**. Mishra, who retired as an Air Marshal in 2016 after a three‑decade career that included stints as air‑officer‑in‑charge of operations in the Eastern Command, entered the public eye in 2020 when he was named the operational head of **“Operation Sindoor.”** The covert, party‑backed campaign was launched shortly after the Supreme Court’s November 2019 verdict that allotted the disputed Ayodhya site to Hindus for the construction of a Ram temple. Under Mishra’s direction, volunteers draped the site with sindoor (vermilion) in a highly symbolic act that reinforced the political narrative of reclaiming the holy ground. His military credentials and experience in orchestrating large‑scale logistical exercises were cited by the government as key reasons for his selection to steer the trust’s day‑to‑day affairs.

The appointment comes amid a sweeping overhaul of the trust’s governance structure, which now includes a diverse panel of trustees: a woman professor of Sanskrit studies, a senior Ayodhya‑based lawyer, and a Delhi‑based businessman with a track record in heritage‑site management. The move is being framed by the Ministry of Culture as an effort to bring professional administration, transparency, and financial prudence to the temple’s massive ₹2,500‑crore budget. Critics, however, have warned that Mishra’s close ties to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and his central role in the 2020 Sindoor episode could blur the lines between religious devotion and state‑run enterprise. Opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party lambasted the decision, declaring that “neither God nor the people will forgive **‘Ram dhan ki chori’**,” referring to alleged misappropriation of temple funds.

The trust’s new leadership is expected to fast‑track the construction timeline, which the government hopes will be completed by 2025, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. Mishra’s first tasks include finalising the temple’s architectural plans, overseeing the procurement of marble and other materials, and setting up a robust audit mechanism to monitor donations from across the country and diaspora. While the appointment has been praised by several Hindu organisations as a “strategic blend of discipline and devotion,” secular groups have urged vigilance to ensure that the temple’s finances remain insulated from partisan influences. As the nation watches the transition from a symbolic “Operation Sindoor” to the concrete building of the Ram temple, Mishra’s tenure will likely become a barometer for how India balances religious aspirations with institutional accountability.