Monkey menace: Pranab Mukherjee to use golf cart during visit to Vrindavan

To ward off monkeys, authorities have decided to use golf cart for President Pranab Mukherjee during his visit to a temple in Vrindavan on Sunday. "The idea of introducing net system around Bankey Behari temple has been given up. Now, the President would come by golf cart," ADM and nodal officer Dhirendra Sachan said.

Mukherjee will visit Vrindavan tomorrow to lay the foundation stone for building Lord Krishna's 'Chandrodaya' temple, which is expected to be thrice the height of 72.5 metre-high Qutub Minar.

Also read: President Pranab Mukherjee to lay foundation stone of tallest Krishna temple in Vrindavan

Hundreds of monkeys reside in the area around the famous Banke Behari temple and often snatch spectacles, purse, mobile phones etc from the visitors there. 

The district administration had earlier planned to deploy a group of langurs to keep the monkeys at bay, a decision which drew flak from various quarters. Keeping langurs in captivity is banned under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Earlier a meeting chaired by ADJ Gopal Gupta and DM Rajesh Kumar was held here, and a detailed review of the arrangements for the visit was done, he said, adding that minor shortcomings were removed.