Mathura (UP), Jul 19 (PTI) Women of the Goswami community staged a protest in front of Uttar Pradesh Power and Urban Development Minister A K Sharma at the Banke Bihari Temple here on Saturday, raising slogans against the proposed corridor project, officials said.

The protest created a tense situation, with the minister allegedly being denied prasad and a patka.

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Wearing black dupattas, the women voiced their opposition to the Banke Bihari corridor, which they claim will harm the temple's spiritual and cultural heritage.

Tensions escalated when a police officer allegedly snatched protest signboards and pushed some priests, angering the women, who then prevented the temple's traditional welcome for the minister, they said.

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Sharma later called four women protesters for a discussion and assured them that their concerns would be conveyed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The minister said he felt "blessed to have darshan at the Sri Bankey Bihari temple."

Regarding the contentious corridor, he emphasised, "Corridor or any development project is taken considering the needs of citizens, and the party is very sensitive in this matter."

He stressed that "the interests of all stakeholders will be preserved."

The Banke Bihari Temple corridor project, aimed at easing crowd congestion and improving the pilgrimage experience, has drawn opposition from sections of the Goswami community and locals who fear it may lead to the demolition of historic lanes and ancient structures, altering Vrindavan's essence.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)