MATHURA: In its ruling, the Allahabad High Court has entrusted the district administration with maintaining law and order at the Banke Bihari temple in Mathura during the Janmashtami festival from August 25 to 29.

On Friday, the court directed the state government to limit live streaming to the temple premises in an effort to manage the crowd more effectively. The ruling follows consultations with the Civil Judge, Junior Division, Mathura, and involves the installation of CCTV cameras under the temple's existing system, which has been in place since 1939. The District Magistrate is tasked with ensuring compliance with these directives.

The court emphasized that the festival's arrangements should be overseen by both the temple management and the government. This decision was made by Justices Siddharth Verma and Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra during a Public Interest Litigation hearing brought by Anant Sharma and another Mathura resident, prompted by a stampede at the temple last August. The case will be revisited on August 28.

Previously, on December 8, 2023, the court had issued instructions for crowd management, which the government failed to implement. In response, the government requested a revision of these directives. Public opposition to the government's request highlighted the limitations of court orders in managing crowds. The government has assured that appropriate arrangements will be made for Janmashtami.

The Uttar Pradesh government has committed to implementing barricades for crowd control, allowing a limited number of people inside the temple at a time. Live streaming will be conducted both inside and outside the temple, with additional screens placed in various locations. However, Advocate Sankalp Goswami's request to prevent live streaming outside the temple was denied, with the court permitting streaming only within the temple grounds.

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