Sewayats deny UP minister darshan at Banke Bihari temple amid protest over corridor project
The protesting Sewayats, Goswamis, did not let the minister take darshan of the deity and pulled the curtain down on the idol as soon as Sharma reached in front of it inside the temple.
As per local sources, when the minister arrived at the temple, the Sewayats, who are opposing the Rs 600-crore Banke Bihari Corridor proposed by the state government and approved by the Supreme Court, were prepared to protest his visit. The minister was not even given prasad.
The Goswami community members are hereditary priests who have been engaged in prayers and priestly duties at the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan for centuries.
'With the arrival of the minister, around 15–20 women, belonging to the family of Goswamis, thronged the temple premises wearing black bands. They surrounded the minister and started shouting 'Hai hai' and 'Mantriji go back',' said a local source.
In the wake of the rising build-up, the officials present on the spot escorted the minister out of the temple from Gate Number 4.
The Supreme Court has given the go-ahead for the Banke Bihari Corridor, an ambitious plan to ease crowd congestion and enhance the pilgrimage experience around the shrine.
The state government has brought an ordinance to create a Trust to run the temple and oversee work on the proposed corridor. Significantly, the Supreme Court has allowed the Uttar Pradesh government to use temple funds for land acquisition to build the corridor - a project envisaged to ease crowd pressure around the temple.
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