Mathura: Priests, traders and local residents on Tuesday intensified their agitation against the construction of the proposed corridor around the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan and burnt copies of the proposed design of the project. He also sent 108 letters written in blood to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, urging them to stop the project and save Vrindavan’s heritage. Markets near the temple remained closed for the third consecutive day in the second half of Tuesday as protesters staged a sit-in. Banke Bihari Vyapar Sangh president Amit Gautam said, “On one hand we are seeking redress from the apex court and on the other the agitation is being intensified.” He said that 108 letters written in blood have been sent to the PM and CM with a request to save the heritage of Vrindavan.
Shakuntala Devi Goswami, 85, a local resident who participated in the sit-in, said, “The construction of the corridor will not only destroy the heritage of Vrindavan, but also make us homeless.” Another local resident, Gyanendra Kishore Goswami, said, “How can we sit idle when efforts are being made to destroy us.”
Megh Shyam, a resident, said the protest against the corridor being built on the lines of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor project in Varanasi started on January 12 and efforts are on to garner more support. According to the protesters, the apex court will hear the matter on January 23.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Pradeep Mathur said that his party would not remain a mute spectator to the suffering of the people.
About 300 families will be rendered homeless by this project and thousands of traders along with their employees will be rendered jobless. Mathur said that this is not in the interest of the residents of Vrindavan.
After two devotees were killed and half a dozen injured during a stampede at the temple during Janmashtami celebrations last year, the government had constituted a committee to probe the incident and suggest remedial measures.
In a writ petition related to Banke Bihari Temple, on 20 December 2022, the High Court had ordered the district administration to submit the development plan of the corridor along with the estimated cost. The survey for the construction of the corridor started on January 3.