The Freethought Party of India (FPI) has decried the idea of a mega Iskcon temple in Puri.
In a Press release it said, “We do not have proper houses and other amenities for all those crores of people living in slums. It is a fact that adequate number of worthwhile academic institutions and hospitals are not there for all our people.
Particularly as per the census findings of 2011, Odisha is having 1,37,789 places of worship as against 98,437 educational institutions and 17,873 healthcare centres. When such is the case where is the need to have a mega Iskcon Temple in Puri or elsewhere in OdishaIJ We are to see that the ISIS and other Jihadist and other fundamentalist or religious fanatics the killers of innocent people-should be eliminated and all the people living in the world - in Puri and elsewhere-should be given scientific, humanistic and ethical education in English to promote the cause of liberty, equality and human dignity throughout the world without any discrimination.
Hence all Governmental authorities and all NGOs and intellectuals should club together to put an end to any move by anyone to build any temple or mosque anywhere in Puri or elsewhere in Odisha and India, it said.