Puri: The Odisha Congress committee on Monday held a mega convention in Puri over several issues about Lord Jagannath’s Ratna Bhandar and the opening of all temple gates.
Congress activists from across the state assembled in Puri, and a rally was held from the Gundicha temple to the Srimandir temple office.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Sarat Pattanayak said, “If the Odisha government doesn’t fulfill the demands before the Kartik month, the party will intensify the agitation across the state.
He questioned the reason behind not opening the gates where the Covid pandemic situation no longer persists.
Alleging that the Odisha government has created a wall between the devotees and the Lord, Senior Congress leader Prasad Harichandan warned the Government to open all the gates.
He also emphasized that Ratna Bhandar, Lord Jagannath’s treasure trove, has required renovation, as has been demanded by the state’s residents. The state administration needs to thoroughly inventory the Lord’s gold and other ornaments immediately and let the populace know whether or not all of their possessions are secure.
In a separate development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also criticized the state Government.
“The Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee in August had submitted to the Orissa High Court and Odisha Government to reopen Ratna Bhandar. But now, the Committee is more concerned about the dress code and is not taking any steps to reopen the Ratna Bhandar. We will soon meet Puri Gajapati Maharaj as he told us to reopen the Ratna Bhandar and prepare an inventory,” former state BJP President Samir Mohanty said.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders meet the Chief Administrator of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration(SJTA) in Puri. PCC President Sarat Pattanayak hands over a memorandum of demands to the Chief Administration at the SJTA office.
