00:00Now, viewers, we are shifting our focus to a different story, which also is now a major flashpoint between the
00:07opposition and the centre.
00:09It's the Ram Mandir Chandachori case, of course, but now the Ram Mandir has a new chief executive officer
00:16and politics has only been snowballing over the appointment of the retired air marshal Jitendra Mishra
00:24as the new chief executive officer of the Ram Temple Trust amid the entire Chandachori case that had blown up.
00:31Questioning the very appointment, what does the Congress have to say?
00:34They have to say that this post belongs to Saints and allege that the Prime Minister has no longer any
00:39trust in the RSS or the VHP.
00:42Further, the party has come out to say that the appointment of the new chief executive officer will not be
00:47burying the Chandachori issue.
00:50Samajwadi Party joined the tirade.
00:51It's the Supremo Akhilesh Yadav himself who's targeted the BJP over the appointment, saying that God will not forgive the
00:57Chandhava Chodi.
00:58Accused that the Saffron Party has been trifling with people's faith and devotion.
01:04Congress ally IUML2 has targeted the appointment of the new chief executive officer, which we were taking you through a
01:10little while back, the story itself,
01:12saying that the appointment of a retired air force officer is questionable because the government has its own people everywhere.
01:17The BJP has hit back at the opposition, raising a simple point that the questions are being asked and raised
01:25about a good person here.
01:27The party further said that the new CEO will be cleaning up the temple administration extensively and bring about transparency
01:35in the entire system.
01:37Retired Air Marshal Jitendra Mishra is the hero, remember, who led from the front to protect India during Operation Sindur.
01:45He told India today in an exclusive conversation that he is grateful for this opportunity and has sought the blessings
01:50of Lord Ram so that he can discharge his duties well.
01:57Sir, heartiest congratulations on being appointed the new CEO of the Sri Ram Temple Trust.
02:04Sir, what will be, what was your first reaction when your name was announced?
02:10First of all, thank you for the compliments.
02:14The first reaction was heart filled with gratitude and I consider myself a fortunate person to have got this opportunity.
02:22Oh, absolutely.
02:23And you are a very strong Sri Ram Bhakt, aren't you, sir?
02:28A very strong what? Come again, please.
02:30Sri Ram Bhakt, you believe in Maryadhapur Sotam, Sri Ram, his ideology, his thinking.
02:35You are from Devaraya.
02:36Tell us more about this transition from forge to faith.
02:41Who isn't a Sri Ram Bhakt?
02:44True, sir.
02:46Absolutely.
02:47Sir, from Operation Vijay to Operation Sindur to this new task, what will your priorities be, sir?
02:57So, see, as far as the responsibilities of the CEO are concerned, they are available in the open domain on
03:05the site of the trust.
03:08That you are, but it was just those responsibilities.
03:14They were looking for a person who they thought would be able to fulfill those responsibilities.
03:19And like I said, that I am thankful to the search committee and the trust for having selected me.
03:25And I look forward to doing my best in the responsibilities that have been placed on my shoulder.
03:33Simar Chawla, joining us on the broadcast with more details into this very story as we speak.
03:38Simar, a very good morning to you.
03:40You know, the politics has been snowballing as the day progresses.
03:43Perhaps it will, in fact, go further with arguments, counter-arguments coming in from both sides.
03:50But I want you to explain to our viewers one aspect of this.
03:54The fact that a person of his calibre and responsibility who has held such a distinguished military position,
04:03that is, the retired air marshal himself, bringing him as the chief executive officer.
04:08When we are talking about the entire selection process of the CEO,
04:13a new post that has been brought in for the Ram Mandir Temple Trust,
04:16what is it, what were the criteria that was kept in mind while this election took place?
04:24And such a distinguished officer, a retired officer has been put in charge of this responsibility.
04:32Well, yes, you rightly pointed out that the politics have, in fact, erupted after the appointment of Jitinder Mishra,
04:38who is the retired air marshal, you know, on the post of the CEO.
04:41Well, this is a new post which has been created.
04:43And, you know, the BJP, the government, in fact, wanted someone of a clean image,
04:48you know, who must be acceptable to all on this very new opposition,
04:52keeping in mind the kind of controversies that have been taking place,
04:55keeping in mind the pressure that has been created by the opposition.
04:58Well, remember that the Congress Party, the Samajwadi Party and several other opposition parties,
05:02in fact, raised this issue in the parliament.
05:05They, in fact, protested outside the parliament.
05:07And, in fact, the government was on back foot on this whole issue.
05:11And just before the UP 2027 election, it was important for the government also
05:15to come out lead in this very particular case.
05:19So the appointment started, the search for the appointment of an officer who had,
05:24you know, a great credibility, who is acceptable to all.
05:26And what better than someone from, you know, from the army, who is, in fact, has been a national hero.
05:33We all know that what, you know, was the responsibility with the Jitin Mishra,
05:37the retired Air Force Marshal in Operation Sindhu.
05:40So that has been the choice of and the strategy of the government, the BJP.
05:45You know, they wanted someone to get in with a clean image so that the politics that have been going
05:50on
05:50should be, in fact, stopped.
05:51But then, too, we have been seeing that there are certain statements which have been coming
05:55from the Congress Party, Samajwadi Party, and also the IUML.
05:58Now, they have all targeted that, specifically Ajay Rai, who is the Congress Chief, has stated
06:04that Champat Rai, Govind Giri, and Anil Mishra, they all have been left out from the investigation.
06:09They all have been saved.
06:10And only ordinary people have been framed in this very particular matter.
06:12He also asked some questions that, will Jitin Mishra take on these people on the issue
06:17of corruption?
06:18Will he have the guts, in fact, to take decisions against them?
06:21So these are the questions which are being raised.
06:23On the other hand, we have been seeing that Achilles Yadav has raised the issue that the
06:26BJP has, in fact, you know, taken the money off all the RAM devotees.
06:31So that issue has not been sorted.
06:33Moreover, the people has not forgotten that their money was stolen.
06:36So the opposition party, whether it be Samajwadi Party and the Congress Party want to focus
06:41on this very particular issue.
06:42That remains to be a big challenge for the CEO at this given point.
06:45That is to bring in that trust back into the Ram Mandir, especially after the entire episode
06:51that we all witnessed.
06:53Thank you so much for bringing us all of those details.
06:55And we'll keep coming back to you through the day to follow up on the developments taking
06:59place within this very story.
07:00But right now, viewers, quickly to take you through who exactly is retired Air Marshal Jitindra
07:05Mishra that we're speaking of.
07:06The first CEO, yes, of the Ram Mandir Trust, who's, in fact,
07:11retired from the Air Force only in May 2026.
07:14That was just a few months back earlier in the year itself.
07:18He was the former chief of the Western Air Command and led the Western Air Command even
07:23during Operation Sindhu, which happened only last year in 2025.
07:28Served in the Indian Air Force for nearly 40 long years, four decades, that is, and has
07:33over 3,000 hours of flying experience.
07:36The fighter combat leader, a test pilot who's worked on the Su-30 MKI Block 4 project and
07:43is also an Ati Vishisht Seva Medal awardee.
07:47So, a distinguished officer who's now been given a new role to bring in transparency into
07:53a system that, in fact, did see a lot of controversy around it and a major, major scam that has
08:01been
08:01revealed within the entire system that, over that, one has to see how the faith is restored
08:06in the Ram Mandir with the retired Air Marshal leading from the very front.
