In a shocking turn of events that may have wide ramifications, general secretary of Cuttack Mahanagar Peace Committee Bhikari Das on Thursday resigned from his post over the issue of the ongoing demolition of temples in the city.
The sociable and widely-respected Das was holding the post for last 30 years and during these three decades he had been ensuring that all festivals, including the biggest annual carnival of Baliyatra and Dusshera, were observed in the Millennium city peacefully.
On Thursday, an emotional Das, owning moral responsibility for not being able to save the famous Gundicha temple from demolition, quit the post with a heavy heart. Incidentally, Das was also an active member in the executive committees of Gundicha temple and Shree Jagannath temple of Chandni Chowk.