A team of Congress leaders led by leader of Opposition in the Assembly Narasingha Mishra and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prasad Harichandan on Thursday visited the Shree Jagannath Temple here to take stock of the status of the damaged Jagamohan, the hall facing the sanctum sanctorum of the 12th-Century shrine.
Mishra, who also offered prayers to the lord, told newspersons after coming out of the temple that there should be no politics in the matter of repair of the Jagamohan.
Mishra was also held a discussion with temple officials regarding the current status of the Jagamohan.
“There should be no politics with regard to repair of the damaged Jagamohan. The State Government, the Central Government and also the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) should take necessary steps for conservation of the Jagamohan,” said Mishra.
He suggested the Government should take opinion of the experts in the State and also in the country who have expertise on the subject and chalk out a plan after discussing with the ASI to conduct repair on war footing.
PCC chief Harichandan, however, demanded that the State Government publish a whitepaper regarding the Jagamohan’s status.
“In 1992 when a stone fell off in the Jagannath temple, the State Government had come out of with a whitepaper. This time too, when the status of the Jagamohan is in a precarious condition, the Government should publish a whitepaper on the overall affairs of the temple starting from its safety to the measures taken for its protection,” said Harichandan.
Opposition Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati, MlA Prakash Behera, former MlA Umabhallav Rath and many senior party leaders visited the temple in the team.
leader of Opposition Mishra had on Wednesday welcomed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to the temple to take stock of the condition of the Jagamohan.
Meanwhile, hundreds of lawyers of the Puri Bar Association led by its president Premananda Mohanty and secretary Sarada Samal staged a demonstration in front of the lion’s Gate and organised a public meeting decrying the negligence on the part of the ASI in protecting the temple and demanded immediate measures for Jagamohan repair. Many senior lawyers participated in the stir.