Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 18: Gajapati Maharaj Divyasingha Dev, in an interview to a local TV channel Thursday, admitted to infighting among servitors of Srimandir, while strongly registering his opposition to ‘political interference’ in the affairs of the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration.
The comments by the Puri King come in the wake of a controversy over the unprecedented delay in the ‘Brahma Paribartan’ (change of life-substance) ritual of the Nabakalebara festival of the Trinity at Srimandir.
“We have failed to take action against a few influential persons (servitors) who create trouble in conduct of rituals of the trinity. This certainly prompts people to question why no action is being taken against such disturbing elements. The devotees deserve an explanation,” the Maharaja said, hinting that those behind the disturbance enjoy political backing.
The Brahma Paribartan ritual was delayed by almost half-a-day, leading to protests and criticism from devotees.
The Puri King admitted that the delay was not a ‘minor’ occurrence. “The delay cannot be termed a minor occurrence. As a devotee of Lord Jagannath, I’m as deeply hurt as any other,” Dev said.
“There shouldn’t be any political interference or influence whatsoever in the process of management and administration of Srimandir,” Dev said, adding there should not be any ‘votebank politics’ over Srimandir.
The issue of infighting in the SJTA has taken centrestage with the BJP already deciding to use it as one of its poll planks for the 2017 panchayat elections.
“We will certainly raise the issue before the public ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections. The state government is maintaining a silence on such sensitive issues. While it had remained silent over the issue of misbehaviour meted out to Shankaracharya, this time too it has remained silent over the delay in conduct of the Brahma Paribartan ritual,” BJP leader Bijay Mohapatra said. BJP leader and Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan also attacked the state government over the issue.
The Brahma Paribartan ritual was conducted in broad daylight Wednesday instead of being performed in pitch dark on the midnight of ‘Amavasya’ (June 15) as per the record of rights (RoR) of Srimandir.
SJTA chief Suresh Mohapatra, chairman of Nabakalebara Infrastructure Supervision Committee (NISC) and local BJD MLA Maheswar Mohanty and law minister Arun Sahu are also facing criticism over the running of the temple body.
