Coming down heavily on the State Government for not implementing Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth Swami Nischalananda Saraswati’s verdict on the issue of allowing the devotees to climb the chariots during the Rath Yatra, the Jagannath Sanskruti Suraksha Manch (JSSM), a city-based cultural outfit, on Thursday opposed the Maheswar Mohanty-headed committee formed to look into the issue.
The outfit threatened to gherao the State Assembly on June 21 to press the Government to carry out the Puri seer’s recommendation.
“The Government kept silent on the recommendation on the Shankaracharya for around one and a half years and took a confusing decision just ahead of the Rath Yatra. The right to take religious decisions is under the sole jurisdiction of the Jagannath Temple Administration and the Government should only say yes to it. It should refrain from interfering in the matter or announcing any other decision which is different from that of the temple administration,” said JSSM convenor and noted researcher of Jagannath culture Dr Prafulla Kumar Rath to mediapersons here.
JSSM co-convenor Ajit Kumar Patnaik said, “The aim of the Government is intended to delay the decision in the matter by holding a series of meetings that would never reach a proper conclusion. We suspect that there is some secret understanding between the Daitapati Nijog and the Government, for which the Government’s nod to the Shankaracharya’s report is getting delayed,” alleged Patnaik.
Besides gheraoing the Assembly, the outfit would also stage demonstrations in every district headquarters on June 21, informed Patnaik.