‘Parala Maharaja is fit and fine’

Paralakhemundi: Terming the talks of house arrest of Parala Maharaja Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deb in his palace here as false propaganda, manager of the king’s Pratisthana as well as a civil society organisation, the Gajapati Citizen Committee, today said Deb is fit and fine.

“It is a rumour. The Maharaja is fit and fine. The daughter of the king and the Puri Gajapati had asked the Maharaja to take rest for one year and do not go outside the palace. During Rath Yatra they had suggested the Parala Gajapati to ask the Raj Purohit (royal priest) to undertake the chhera panhara ceremony”, Ananga Manjari Patra, manager of the king’s Pratisthana told media persons here today.

She further stated, “After the demise of Deb’s only son, younger brother of the Maharaja is attempting to grab the properties located in Paralakhemundi and Chennai. As part of a conspiracy these talks are spread in the media.”

Echoing similar views, Bharat Bhusan Mohanty, vice president of the Gajapati Citizen Committee, said, “This is a wrong campaign going on in this area. Neither anyone has the power to house arrest the Parala Maharaja and nor such type of situation has arisen. We are meeting the king regularly. However, when he falls ill, he stops visiting places outside the palace. This wrong campaign is a humiliation to the people of the area as well as the Maharaja.”

Meanwhile, the local police visited the Maharaja and said he is in good health.

Utkal Ranjan Das, Paralakhemundi SDPO, said, “The situation is normal. Today local IIC and SDPO visited the palace.”

Meanwhile, K. Surya Rao, Paralakhemundi legislator said, “Persons, who are in charge of taking care of the Maharaja, have made him a puppet. As the king’s condition is not good, we demand his medical examination and immediate arrest of the persons who are conspiring against him. If the demands are not met, we will observe a hunger strike.”

Ramprasad Das, a local, said, “The Maharaja is aging, but his condition should be improved. We want intervention of the administration to ensure his better medical treatment.”

Declining his involvement in the spreading of talks on the Parala Maharaja, younger brother of the king Sarbagyana Jagannath Gajapati Deb said this is a conspiracy against him.