Traders, priests oppose move to acquire Bankey Bihari temple

The traders in Vrindaban will keep their shops closed onTuesday in protest against the reported move by the Uttar Pradesh government to acquire and develop century-old Bankey Bihari temple.
"In protest to reported move of state government to acquire Bankey Behari temple, the market of Vrindaban would remain closed onforthcoming Tuesday," the President of Vyapaar Mandal Vrindaban, Ashok Varshaney, said today.
Akhil Bharatiya Tirtha Purohit Mahasabha (ABTPM), a national-level association of priests, have said that they are mulling over to convert their relay fast to indefinite fast if the clarification on the move does not come early.
"We can do any thing to save the temple from acquisition. We would not hesitate to go for indefinite fast," Shashank Goswami and Atal Behari Goswami said.

Some of the temple priests have staged dharna in front of Bankey Bihari temple and are on relay fast in protest against the reported move by the UP government.
The resentment amongst temple priests was reported after a local channel claimed that the Uttar Pradesh government is contemplating to acquire Bankey Behari temple in Vrindaban and Vindhya Basini Devi temple in Mirzapur.

The President of of ABTPM, Mahesh Pathak, said, "Any design to disturb the sanctity of Bankey Behari temple through its acquisition would pave the way for All India agitation."
"It (UP government) only gave licenses to industries without ensuring proper discharge of its effluent. If it was really interested to provide relief to pilgrims, it should try to extend the area of the temple and widen approach road etc," he said.

"A meeting of Tirtha Purohits from important pilgrim centres of India is slated to be held on December 14 for extending the agitation to national level," Pathak said.
Meanwhile, Barsana and Nandgaon temple priests have also extended support to the agitation.
"It would adversely affect the sanctity of worship of principal deity. The priests of Ladli temple Barsana fully support agitation of priests of Bankey Behari temple," Raas Behari Goshwami, the priest Ladli Ji temple said.