Soon after the inauguration of the Maa Taratarini temple in Ganjam by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, a political slugfest ensued with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress accusing the BJD government of playing soft Hindutwa card, keeping 2024 general election in view.
Launching a vituperative attack on the government, senior Congress leader Suresh Routray asked where was the government for the last 21 years and accused the ruling BJD of playing Hindu Card.
“These are only gimmicks to counter the BJP’s Hindu card,” said Routray.
In his reaction, the State BJP general secretary Prithiviraj Harichandan said, “They had long been neglecting these sites. Now whatever they are doing is being done keeping 2024 general election in mind. They should at least stop politicising the religious places. If they have an iota of interest for the safety of the religious places, today there wouldn’t have been such a hue and cry surrounding the Puri Srimandir.”
On the other hand, earlier Ghasipura MLA Badri Narayan Patra had said that the Opposition party were targeting the government only out of jealousy, and Naveen Patnaik’s popularity has become unbearable for them.
Notably, the renovated and revamped shakti shrine of Maa Taratarini in Ganjam district was inaugurated by CM Naveen on Wednesday. The shrine was developed at a cost of Rs 115 crore.
The temple located on top of Kumari hills along Rushikulya river bank near Purushottampur of Ganjam district can be accessed by three ways- by rope way, by newly-constructed road or by climbing the flight of steps.