New Delhi: Senior BJD leader and MP Bhartruhari Mahatab on Thursday urged the Centre to take proactive steps to bring back the Kohinoor diamond to India from Britain and offer it to Lord Jagannath in Puri as willed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, he said a few days before the death Maharaja Ranjit Singh, his political agent had written a letter to the then Governor General in 1839 in which he had stated about the wishes of the king to distribute his precious jewellery which he had kept in his treasure chest. As per his wishes, the Golden Temple and Kashi Viswanath Temples were covered with gold sheets. His other wish was to offer the Kohinoor diamond to Lord Jagannath and steps should be taken to ensure that no one takes away his properties.
“I informed the Central government that as this is the only document that the British East India Company had handed over to the Congress government at that time, the present government should take the initiative in this regard and place its fresh contention on the case which is sub judice in the Supreme Court as the stand taken by the Congress government in the 1950s on this issue was not correct. The Central government should take necessary steps to bring back the Kohinoor diamond which is now with the Queen of Britain and offer it to Lord Jagannath in Puri,” he told OTV.
He further said as per the existing tradition in our country, Kohinoor diamond is widely known as Syamantaka Mani which can only be worn either by the Lords or the women.
“Since Lord Jagannath is believed as the Lord of the Universe, the precious and unique gem stone should be offered to him,” Mahatab pointed out.