As the Uttar Pradesh government's proposal to acquire three temples and set up a shrine board to protect Govardhan continued to rile local priests, cabinet minister Srikant Sharma today offered to plead the latter's case to the BJP government.
"I would plead the matter of acquisition of three temples of Govardhan before the chief minister as your advocate," the power minister said last evening.
In an order issued on January 8, the UP government had said that acting on orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the state religious works department was setting up a shrine board for the protection of Govardhan.
The order said preparations were underway to acquire and manage Sri Girija Mukharvind Temple, Daan-ghaati Temple and Mukut Mukharvind Temple, located at Govardhen.
Locals and priests are up in arms against the move.
Sharma said the Yogi Adityanath government was undertaking the project as per the NGT order, adding that he would still plead the case of the priests to the chief minister.
A large group of local priests, chanting slogans, had earlier met the minister and apprised him of the issue.
The priests claimed that the state government's move would render thousands of families of Govardhan homeless.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
