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Bhubaneswar: The controversy surrounding delay in rituals and huge wastage of Mahaprasad in Puri Srimandir refuses to die with the issue turning up heat in the Odisha Assembly for the second consecutive day today.
Protesting the government’s failure in resolving the row, Congress legislators today disrupted the House proceedings.
MLAs of the party rushed to the well of the house and raised slogans against the State government while blaming the temple administration for failing to restore normalcy in rituals of the deities.
Following the ruckus, the Speaker adjourned the House three times. It was first adjourned till 11.30 am, later to 12.50 pm and further till 4 pm.
The Speaker then called for an all party meeting during which the Congress legislators demanded that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik or the Law Minister should keep their statements in the House.
Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati warned that the party will not allow the House to function unless the government restores normalcy in rituals.
“Lord Jagannath is the presiding deity of millions of Odias, and the state government seems least bothered with the deity being kept out of bounds from daily rituals like offering of Bhog,” Bahinipati said.
On the other hand, the BJD said the row is concerned with the faith and beliefs of Odias and should not be politicised.
Stating that the administration should not get involved in the controversy as the rituals and related matters are under the discretion of Puri Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb and Shankaracharya Nischalanand Saraswati, Senior party leader Damodar Rout called upon the duo to intervene in the matter.
Rout questioned the servitors demand for compensation over wastage of Mahaprasad and said that they should not try to commercialise matters related with the temple.
It is to be noted that rituals to be performed ahead of Puri Srimandir’s Jagamohan opening on April 16 got delayed after the ‘Palia’ servitor supposed to perform the puja failed to turn up due to ill health. This led to delay in serving of morning Bhog to the deities that was served around 4 pm leading to huge wastage of the afternoon bhog called ‘Amhunia Mahaprasad’.
