Resentment gripped lakhs of Jagannath devotees on Sunday when some Daitapati servitors facilitated Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Mukul Roy and his family members to touch lord Balabhadra during the Pahandi Bije.
The Daitapatis were also seen taking a woman devotee to touch lord Jagannath during the ceremonial procession.
Reacting to the development, Jagannath Swain Mohapatra, the Badagarhi (Custodian) of lord Jagannath, stated that the lords are coming out of the shrine only to meet devotees.
“It is not right to impose restrictions on devotees for touching deities as it is a religious affair. The lords are for the devotees, and they can touch them,” said Mohapatra who was recently served a show-cause notice by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration as a woman devotee climbed atop the Nandighosh chariot violating the Odisha High Court ruling.