The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh government over the haste in which it promulgated the Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025, to take over the management of the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, Mathura.
The Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi pulled up the state government over the ‘clandestine’ manner in which it secured permission from the Apex Court through the May 15 verdict regarding the use of temple funds for the corridor development project, by filing an application in a civil dispute.
Citing the example of how the area around the Golden Temple was developed by acquiring the lands of the nearby residents and asked why a similar approach could not have been taken in the instant case.
Making an oral suggestion, the top court of the country said that it would recall the directions in the May 15 verdict permitting the state to use the temple funds.
It further proposed to constitute a committee headed by a retired High Court judge to oversee the management of the temple till the time the validity of the Ordinance was decided by the High Court. The Collector and other authorities would form part of the committee. The ASI could also be associated with the committee for a holistic development of the region. The temple rituals would be continued by the family as before, it added.
It made another oral proposal of relegating the parties to the High Court to challenge the Ordinance.
The Apex Court adjourned hearing on the petitions challenging the Ordinance till tomorrow to enable Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj to get instructions from the Government on the proposals made by the Court.
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