Odisha govt lied in Ratna Bhandar affidavit, 74kg silver missing: Jagannath Sena

Puri-based pressure group, Jagannath Sena on Thursday alleged that the Odisha government lied in the affidavit filed in the Orissa High Court over Ratna Bhandar and the ornaments stored in it.

The outfit’s Convenor, Priyadarshi Patnaik alleged that the Odisha government provided the weight of the ornaments to the High Court in Kilograms (kg), whereas the ornaments were weighed in Tolas (Bhari) during the last inventory, held in 1978. So as per the difference in weight between Tola and Kilogram, there are 74kgs less silver as compared to 1978.

“The State government has provided two different data regarding the Ratna Bhandar; in the High Court and in the Assembly. As per the affidavit submitted at the High Court, the weight of the silver mentioned is lower by 74kgs,” Patnaik alleged.

“They should open the Ratna Bhandar and perform an inventory as soon as possible. Why wait for the next Rath Yatra? I think the government is buying time only for the elections to get over. If they reopen the Ratna Bhandar before the election, BJD will definitely lose,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Opposition including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress raised questions on the delay of reopening of the Ratna Bhandar. They alleged that Lord Jagannath’s ornaments have been looted and the government is delaying the inventory to cover it up.

"We have read the gazette notification and came to know that the details furnished with the High Court are based on the inventory made 45 years back, in 1978. Looking at the government’s statement in the Assembly and the affidavit, we suspect that the Ratna Bhandar has been looted,” said BJP leader Sameer Mohanty.

"There are a lot of discrepancies in both the lists of ornaments in Ratna Bhandar. At least 50kgs of gold and other ornaments have been looted from there. We demand an immediate inventory of the Ratna Bhandar,” said Congress MLA, Taraprasad Bahinipati.

When asked about the allegations, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chose not to comment on them. Senior BJD leader, Amar Prasad Satapathy said, “The matter is already subjudice. So it will not be appropriate for us to comment on it.”

It is pertinent to mention here that the Srimandir Managing Committee recommended the Odisha government to allow the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to reopen and carry out repair work of the Ratna Bhandar during the Rath Yatra next year. But this decision has been questioned. Starting from devotees to Srimandir Managing Committee members, many have demanded that prior to the repair work of Ratna Bhandar, the inventory of the ornaments should be done.