Varanasi: Protesting against the alleged new app-based darshan system implemented at Kashi Vishwanath temple, scores of Congress office-bearers and workers tried to take out a march towards the temple from their office at Maidagin on Sunday.Heavy police force foiled their bid, after which they staged protest outside their office. Against the claims of Congress that this system was an attempt to restrict the faith of devotees and hurting the sentiments of believers, they are demanding its immediate withdrawal. Temple administration, on the other hand, stated that except upgradation of software of the temple’s ticket booking and data collection system to put complete check on loopholes misused by middlemen to dupe devotees, nothing new was going to be introduced in the existing system of darshan at the temple.Immediately after the temple chief executive officer, Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, provided updates on the proposed updating of software three days ago, Congress Mahanagar President Raghavendra Chaubey opened a front against him, alleging that temple administration was trying to supersede faith of crores by turning the shrine area into a ground for experimenting digitally controlled business models. He said restricting booking of Mangla Aarti ticket for 90 days after taking part in it any day by a devotee is encroachment of religious liberty, hence it should be withdrawn.Demanding transparency, the party asked to remove tainted officials and resume Sugam Darshan facility for local denizens with extended hours, while ending app-based system to avoid problems for devotees and impartial enquiry of the donations being made to temple and their utilisation.After preparing this demand letter, the Congress workers started coming down from their office to reach Maidagin road for marching towards temple. However, cops did not allow them to come on road, after which they indulged in sloganeering. In view of their demand, an SDM deployed at temple was called to the spot when Congress leaders submitted their demand letter to him.When temple CEO was contacted, he said that there was no plan to change any existing system of entering temple for darshan or ticket booking in all categories. The app‘s software was being upgraded to maintain proper data to foil bid of repeated booking of tickets of rituals like Mangla Aarti on single ID by the middlemen, who cheat devotees by charging huge amount from them and also cause mismanagement during the rituals. The upgradation of app will also address linguistic issues and make the temple visit of devotees from across the globe more convenient.
