In a significant development, the Allahabad High Court deferred the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning crowd management at the Banke Bihari Temple corridor to September 4th. The PIL, which raises issues about the handling of large crowds during festivities, particularly during the upcoming Janmashtami, has been met with objections from the temple servitors.
The case, presided over by Justice Siddharth Verma and Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra, saw the servitors challenging the admissibility of the PIL, stating it was unfounded. They argued that the current management practices were adequate and that the PIL was unnecessarily intrusive into the temple’s affairs.
Previously, a lengthy hearing on this matter under the chairmanship of then Chief Justice Preetinkar Diwakar had taken place. The bench, citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, had approved the state government’s proposal for constructing a corridor at the Vrindavan (Mathura) Banke Bihari Temple. The court had ordered the removal of encroachments around the temple premises but had also halted the use of INR 262.50 crore from the deity’s bank account for the construction of the corridor.
Furthermore, the court had been clear in its previous directives that objections to the proposed acquisitions for the corridor should not compromise human safety. With increasing pilgrim influx, especially during significant festivals, the management of crowds has become a critical issue that the temple and state authorities aim to address through these infrastructure enhancements.
