The war of words between the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the BJP has intensified over the ongoing work for the development and beautification of the 12th century Shree Jagannath temple under the Puri Srimandir Heritage project.

Both sides traded charges as the administration carried out the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey and impact assessment study for the project on the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday near the 12th century shrine. While BJP’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra raked up the issue and targeted the Odisha government, Biju Janata Dal spokesperson Sulata Deo countered the charges and asked the BJP to refrain from politicising the issue.

GPR is a geophysical locating method that uses radio waves to capture images below the surface of the ground in a minimally invasive way. The huge advantage of GPR is that it allows crew to pinpoint the location of underground utilities without disturbing the ground. The BJD maintained that this was done at the time of excavation near the shrine, however, the BJP said the BJD was misleading people on the issue.

Patra accused BJD’s Puri MP Pinaki Misra of misleading the people on the issue. The BJD countered and asked Patra to refrain from doing politics over the issue. “Stop playing electoral politics with Srimandir project, there are many other issues to do politics on,” BJD’s Sulata Deo tweeted.

Earlier, targeting the state government on the issue of GPR survey, Patra said, “The area near the temple was dug up using JCB machines without conducting the GPR. Now the survey is being carried out at night.”

Targeting Misra in particular, Patra said Misra’s lie has been exposed again on the issue of GPR. “Earlier, we had maintained that the deep excavation work was done without conducting the GPRS. But Misra tweeted stating that GPRS was duly done. Allegations about digging without doing GPR are baseless,” Patra said.

Patra even maintained that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in its affidavit maintained that digging was done without the GPR. “We want to know why a team was found busy in conducting the GPR survey at the project site at midnight,” Patra said.

Earlier, Puri MP Misra had tweeted: “Documents will show GPRS was duly done and therefore allegations about digging without doing GPRS are baseless. The High Court affidavit will clarify all these aspects. All that’s needed is a little more patience and a little less malice.”

Deo on Sunday accused Patra of creating obstacles and obstructing the ongoing work by making false and misleading claims.

In a series of tweets, Deo wrote: “You very well know that the GPRS study was done earlier and was submitted along with the detailed project report to the National Monument Authority (NMA). But still you are trying to mislead the people of Puri. NMA had permitted the reception centre at a lower height. It was shifted to the regulated zone since the government wanted to make it taller. Your false and misleading statements are hurting the sevayats and the Jagannath Premis (devotees of Jagannath) severely,”

She also tweeted: “The sevayats of Puri who have donated their land and the Jagannath Premis will not forgive you for obstructing Puri project and regularly making false and misleading statements on it.”