The controversy over social media influencer Kamiya Jani doesn’t seem to die down. The Jagannath Sanskruti Suraksha Abhiyan on Saturday demanded action against 5T chairman VK Pandian and Jani.
The members of the Jagannath Sanskruti Suraksha Abhiyan took out a rally that culminated at the Lower PMG where they staged a demonstration.
“She (Jani) is advocating the consumption of beef. The way she was roped in to advertise Mahaprasad and allowed into Srimandir is not going down well with the Lord Jagannath lovers,” said the secretary of the abhiyan, Tanmay Dash.
At the same time, the Shree Jagannath Sena also launched an attack on the BJD-led government.
“The present controversy is related to allowing a woman, who has consumed beef, into Srimandir. This has hurt the sentiments of crores of Lord Jagannath lovers. The Sena has two questions for the government. First, who invited her to Srimandir at 4 am? Second, who took her inside Srimandir?” said the convenor of the Shree Jagannath Sena, Priyadarshan Pattanayak.
On the other hand, the whole issue has evoked sharp reactions from the public.
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“It has hurt me that one who doesn’t believe in Jagannath culture was allowed into Srimandir. It is unfortunate that a leader of the ruling party took her into the temple and had Mahaprasad with her,” said a Bolangir resident, Soumyaranjan Mishra.
“To allow someone who is advocating beef consumption into Srimandir is unfortunate. By doing such things, the government is sending out a wrong message,” said a Bolangir resident, Pabitra Kumar Dash.
When asked, Salepur residents Kiran Kumar, Sambit Dash, and Chittaranjan Satpathy echoed similar concerns.
Later in the day, when approached by journalists, 5T chairman VK Pandian declined to comment on the matter.