High drama unfolded in Puri when BJP MP from Bhubaneswar Aparajita Sarangi reached the holy town on Wednesday to explain her point of view on the ongoing construction around the 12th century Jagannath temple.
She alleged that the work under the Puri Shree Mandir Heritage Corridor project is being carried out in violation of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) regulations.
Police stopped the IAS-turned-politician’s carcade on the outskirts of the town. Undeterred she got off her vehicle at Patapolo, which is almost 10km from Puri, and started walking towards the town on foot. The Puri police had halted her carcade on the plea that any procession or padayatra on the issue had been barred by the district administration.
After Sarangi alighted from her car and started walking towards Puri, the administration allowed her to use her car after she had covered a distance of around 1.5km in scorching heat. But she got down from the vehicle near medical square, about 1km from the 12th century Shree Jagannath Temple, and started walking towards the shrine.
“Permission was not sought for the padayatra. No permission is required for darshan of Lord Jagannath. I myself was administrator and I have full respect for the administrative officials. Let me go on foot to have a darshan of Lord Jagannath. But why is Odisha government so scared if the work under the Puri Shree Mandir Heritage Corridor project is being done in consonance with the laws,” said Sarangi alleging that the administration had dug 30-feet holes around the temple wall.
On Tuesday, the Srimandir Banchao Abhiyan (Save Shree Mandir) had called off its proposed padayatra on Wednesday to lodge its protest against the heritage corridor project in Puri after the district collector denied permission for the yatra. Sarangi was scheduled to participate in the padayatra. After Puri district administration denied permission, Sarangi decided to go to Puri on Wednesday along with her supporters to have a darshan of Lord Jagannath.
After reaching the temple, she came down heavily on the government for going ahead with the Puri Shree Mandir Heritage Project in violation of rules. She alleged that the administration was not adhering to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)’ guidelines which prohibit any new construction within 100 metres radius of an ancient monument.
Coming down heavily on the state government, Sarangi said, “No one is aware of the purpose of the construction activities being undertaken under the Puri Shree Mandir Heritage project. Because of the construction activities, there is a threat to the shrine. Even Puri MP is unaware about it. The people of the state have a right to know about it and the government is answerable to them.”
The heritage corridor project, launched in 2021, by the Odisha government envisages development in around the 75m radius of the Shree Jagannath Temple.
Earlier on March 31, Sarangi had raised the issue in the Lok Sabha and alleged that provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act had been violated during the execution of the project.
However, Puri’s BJD MP Pinaki Misra maintained that all construction work under the project was being carried out in tune with the existing laws. “The Orissa High court did not stay the work during its hearing on the issue. Aparajita Sarangi should understand this. No one has ever been successful by dragging Lord Jagannath into politics,” said Misra, adding that people want continuation of the project and the issue should not be politicised.
Congress workers hurled tomatoes on the procession of Sarangi. They alleged that the BJD and the BJP were hand in gloves. “No one should do politics on lord Jagannath,” said pradesh Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik.
