In his response to the show-cause notice issued by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) following a woman climbing atop chariot Nandighosh on Tuesday, lord Jagannath's chief servitor (Mukhya Badagrahi) Jagannath Swain Mohapatra on Thursday came down heavily on the SJTA for allegedly creating disturbance in the Nabakalebar Rath Yatra.
"SJTA Chief Administrator Suresh Mohapatra wants disturbance after the Government deputed four Ministers and an IPS officer to look after smooth conduct of the Rath Yatra in Puri," said the servitor.
As the Badagrahi of Jagannath, he said, the Srianga rituals are his responsibility and not taking care of the Charamala (ladder of the chariot).
"It's not my work to see who climbs atop the chariot," said the servitor and added that the police and the administration should have ensured that no devotees could mount the chariots.
The Badagrahi said he didn't know who climbed onto the chariot and how. "It's a plan to create disturbance during the festival. The person (aiming at the SJTA chief) dragged me into the controversy knowingly so that disturbance will take place very easily," he said.
Notably, the Odisha High Court last year had ruled that no devotees should be allowed to climb the chariots and touch the deities during the annual Rath Yatra in Puri.