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Hindustan Times

HC adjourns hearing in Banke Bihari temple ordinance case

The Allahabad high court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing over creating a government trust to control and supervise the Shri Banke Bihari Mandir at Mathura through an ordinance. The court fixed August 6 as the next date for hearing. The court fixed August 6 as the next date for hearing. (For representation) When the matter was taken before justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal, chief standing counsel of the state government Rajeshwar Tripathi apprised the court that the matter involving issuance of 'The Uttar Pradesh Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025' case may be deferred as the same issue is pending before the Supreme Court. The court adjourned the hearing, saying, 'Put up this matter as fresh on 6th August, 2025.' During the previous hearing, the high court had sought a reply from the state government on whether the government can appoint government officials as trustees of a private temple like Banke Bihari temple, by an ordinance. However, the state government has yet to file its reply. Earlier on July 21, Sanjeev Goswami, amicus curiae in the case, had said that it was a private temple and the religious practice was being carried out by the heirs of the late Swami Hari Das Ji. He added that by issuing the ordinance, the government was trying to take control over the temple through the backdoor. The amicus curiae apprised the court that as per the ordinance, there would be two kinds of trustees -- nominated and ex officio. The nominated trustees would be the sadhus, seers, gurus, scholars, mathadhish and mahants from the Vaishnav tradition as well as followers of Sanatan Dharma. He raised objections to the ex-officio trustees (seven in number), including officials like Mathura DM, SSP, and Mathura municipal commissioner. 'Creating such a Trust amounts to intruding into the Hindu religion by the state government. The Constitution of India does not provide for the state to practise any religion and take control of any temple,' the amicus curiae said.