The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing in a plea challenging the Uttar Pradesh government’s ordinance that seeks to establish a trust for the management of Shri Bankey Bihari Mandir in Mathura. The matter will now be taken up on August 6.
The court was hearing arguments against the Uttar Pradesh Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025, which proposes the creation of a government-controlled trust to oversee temple administration.
When the matter came up before Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal, the state counsel informed the bench that the validity of the Ordinance is currently under challenge before the Supreme Court. In view of this development, the high court deferred proceedings and suggested the state government consider amending the Ordinance, particularly the provisions involving bureaucratic control over a religious institution.
The court observed that the government’s attempt to assert control through the ordinance appears to violate Article 25 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freely practice and manage religion. The bench expressed concern that the Ordinance may infringe on religious autonomy.
Earlier, on July 21, court-appointed amicus curiae Sanjay Goswami had questioned the state’s competence to issue such an Ordinance, arguing that the Shri Bankey Bihari Temple is a private religious institution traditionally managed by the heirs of Swami Hari Das Ji.
Goswami pointed to Section 5 of the Ordinance, which proposes the appointment of both nominated and ex-officio trustees to the temple trust board. While nominated trustees include saints, mahants, and scholars from the Vaishnav tradition, the ex-officio trustees include senior government officials, such as the Mathura District Magistrate, Senior Superintendent of Police, officials from the Religious Affairs Department, and others.
He raised strong objections, stating that this amounted to “backdoor government control” over a private temple, undermining the community’s traditional rights. “This is a direct encroachment on the religious rights of Hindus, especially the spiritual lineage of Swami Hari Das Ji,” Goswami argued.
