New Delhi, May 26 (Reporter) The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a petition seeking modification of its recent order that cleared the Uttar Pradesh government’s ambitious redevelopment plan for the revered Shri Banke Bihari Temple in Mathura. A Bench Comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih took note of submissions made by Senior Advocate Amit Anand Tiwari, who appeared for petitioner Devendra Nath Gooswami, a Mathura resident and direct descendant of the temple’s founder. “We will list it,” CJI Gavai remarked briefly while allowing the matter to be placed for hearing. The plea challenges the apex court’s May 15 order, which had approved the state’s proposal to acquire 5 acres of land surrounding the temple to ease crowding and create a holding area for devotees. In doing so, the Court had also allowed the use of temple funds for the acquisition, modifying an earlier November 8, 2023 order of the Allahabad High Court, which had denied the use of temple finances for the project. In his petition, Gooswami argued that the implementation of the redevelopment scheme, in its current form, is “practically unfeasible” and lacks the essential involvement of those historically associated with the temple’s daily operations. Filed through Advocate Ashutosh Jha, the plea warns that the project risks disturbing the religious sanctity and cultural heritage of the temple, which has been overseen by Gooswami’s family for over 500 years. “Any attempt to redevelop without consulting traditional stakeholders is likely to create administrative disorder and alter the temple’s deeply devotional ecosystem,” the petition contends. The Supreme Court is now set to reconsider whether its approval of the state's redevelopment plan particularly the use of temple funds needs to be re-evaluated in light of these objections...////...