After a major controversy broke out over Digha's Jagannath Dham and a show-cause notice served to a senior servitor of Puri Temple over usage of sacred wood in Digha temple, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday went on all-out attack against Odisha government, condemning attack on Bengali migrant workers in Odisha. She pointed out how the Bengal government stands beside the Odisha government in times of their crisis.
Banerjee refuting allegations over usage of “darukastha timber meant for Puri’s Jagannath Temple being used for carving deities in Jagannath Temple in Digha.
She said Bengali tourists are the largest number of visitors to Puri and they go there during Rath Yatra and other times of the year. Banerjee questioned why they are jealous about Jagannath Dham in Digha. “Why are you jealous? She questioned.
“Bengal helps Odisha in times of crisis-during Cyclone, water pipes and wires are damaged, we send our engineers to restore electricity and other work. We have sent engineers when we ourselves have been impacted by Cyclone. We have sent potatoes when there is scarcity of potatoes in that state,” Banerjee said.
But migrant workers were attacked and beaten up when they were speaking in Bengali, she said, adding, “Why are you beating our Bengali people in Odisha? Bengali migrant workers are beaten up in Odisha, UP, Maharashtra and Bihar. Why will they face atrocities? We have 1.5 crore people from other states working in Bengal.”
Bengal Chief Secretary has written a letter to the Odisha government and DGP has also discussed the matter with its Odisha counterpart.
“They claimed that I had stolen Neem trees from there. There are four Neem trees at my house. Even idols of Lord Jagannath are being sold, which people keep and worship at their homes,” Chief Minister said while addressing the media in Baharampur during her two-day visit to Murshidabad district.
“Why are you affected by the Jagannath Dham being built? Our idol was made of marble. Another idol was brought by Daityapati. I have heard, he has been questioned, and it has been notified that no priest should go to Jagannath Dham in Digha,” Banerjee said.
“We all go to Puri. When I go to Puri, RSS and BJP protests,” she added.
Banerjee said that the Neem wood was brought by Puri Jagannath temple sevayat Ramkrishna Das Mahapatra, also known as Rajesh Daitapati, who was present at the inauguration of the temple on April 30, brought from some other place.
Claiming that she loves Odisha but pointed out, Banerjee “Highest number of tourists travel to Puri from Bengal throughout the year. “If we have built Jagannath Dham, why are you annoyed? Let us both be happy!” she observed.
She also condemned the showcause notice on the senior servitor. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has issued a showcause notice to senior servitor Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra for his alleged remarks regarding the construction of idols at a newly built temple in Digha.
Ramakrishna Dasmohapatra, Secretary of the Daitapati Nijog of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, was reportedly questioned by SJTA, regarding his statements and usage of sacred wood. He was in Digha inauguration and "pran Pratishtha" ceremony. SJTA issued a show-cause notice to Dasmohapatra, requiring him to respond within seven days to allegations.
“I have heard, Daityapati was summoned and asked why he went to Bengal... We don’t want any misunderstanding with any states…Why are you objecting if we have set up Jagannath Dham,” Banerjee said today.
Dasmahapatra has been directed to submit his reply in seven days. The notice reportedly warns that failure to provide a satisfactory response will result in disciplinary action under the provisions of the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955.
The action comes in the wake of media reports, alleging that surplus neem wood (Daru) from the 2015 Nabakalebara rituals at the Puri Jagannath Temple, has been reportedly used to construct idols for the Digha temple. However, Dasmahapatra later denied these statements.
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She said Bengali tourists are the largest number of visitors to Puri and they go there during Rath Yatra and other times of the year. Banerjee questioned why they are jealous about Jagannath Dham in Digha. “Why are you jealous? She questioned.
“Bengal helps Odisha in times of crisis-during Cyclone, water pipes and wires are damaged, we send our engineers to restore electricity and other work. We have sent engineers when we ourselves have been impacted by Cyclone. We have sent potatoes when there is scarcity of potatoes in that state,” Banerjee said.
But migrant workers were attacked and beaten up when they were speaking in Bengali, she said, adding, “Why are you beating our Bengali people in Odisha? Bengali migrant workers are beaten up in Odisha, UP, Maharashtra and Bihar. Why will they face atrocities? We have 1.5 crore people from other states working in Bengal.”
Bengal Chief Secretary has written a letter to the Odisha government and DGP has also discussed the matter with its Odisha counterpart.
“They claimed that I had stolen Neem trees from there. There are four Neem trees at my house. Even idols of Lord Jagannath are being sold, which people keep and worship at their homes,” Chief Minister said while addressing the media in Baharampur during her two-day visit to Murshidabad district.
“Why are you affected by the Jagannath Dham being built? Our idol was made of marble. Another idol was brought by Daityapati. I have heard, he has been questioned, and it has been notified that no priest should go to Jagannath Dham in Digha,” Banerjee said.
“We all go to Puri. When I go to Puri, RSS and BJP protests,” she added.
Banerjee said that the Neem wood was brought by Puri Jagannath temple sevayat Ramkrishna Das Mahapatra, also known as Rajesh Daitapati, who was present at the inauguration of the temple on April 30, brought from some other place.
Claiming that she loves Odisha but pointed out, Banerjee “Highest number of tourists travel to Puri from Bengal throughout the year. “If we have built Jagannath Dham, why are you annoyed? Let us both be happy!” she observed.
She also condemned the showcause notice on the senior servitor. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has issued a showcause notice to senior servitor Ramakrushna Dasmahapatra for his alleged remarks regarding the construction of idols at a newly built temple in Digha.
Ramakrishna Dasmohapatra, Secretary of the Daitapati Nijog of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, was reportedly questioned by SJTA, regarding his statements and usage of sacred wood. He was in Digha inauguration and "pran Pratishtha" ceremony. SJTA issued a show-cause notice to Dasmohapatra, requiring him to respond within seven days to allegations.
“I have heard, Daityapati was summoned and asked why he went to Bengal... We don’t want any misunderstanding with any states…Why are you objecting if we have set up Jagannath Dham,” Banerjee said today.
Dasmahapatra has been directed to submit his reply in seven days. The notice reportedly warns that failure to provide a satisfactory response will result in disciplinary action under the provisions of the Shree Jagannath Temple Act, 1955.
The action comes in the wake of media reports, alleging that surplus neem wood (Daru) from the 2015 Nabakalebara rituals at the Puri Jagannath Temple, has been reportedly used to construct idols for the Digha temple. However, Dasmahapatra later denied these statements.
