Bhubaneswar: Even after finding the duplicate keys of Ratna Bhandar the political blame game between BJD and BJP has not stopped.
BJD Vice-President Damodar Rout blamed former Law Minister Biswabhushan Harichandan (BJP), while the latter said the government is hiding something.
“People are saying that the Ratna Bhandar has been opened many times in the past. I have been in politics for 45 years, but I have never heard of the Bhandar being opened even once. The Bhandar was last opened in 1978 when Biswabhusan Harichandan was the Law Minister. That is what I remember,” Rout said.
Asking Harichandan about the keys, the BJD leader said, “If the Bhandar was opened and they had carried out an inspection, Biswabhusan Babu must be having information about the key. If they had opened it they should also be able to answer where the key is now.”
Questioning the role of the Puri Collector he said, “I don’t understand why the Collector said that he is ready to face any probe on the key. Why should he face a probe? Why is he owning up?”
“A duplicate key which the Collector claimed to have found can only be made if the original is available. If the original is missing how can a duplicate be made?” he asked.
Reacting to the statement of Rout, Harichandan said he does not know about the duplicate key.
“Taking care of the key is the administrator’s responsibility and not the minister’s. After getting the interim report the government had directed to open the Ratna Bhandar and inspect the ornaments and other valuables kept inside. But it was never a minister’s job to keep track of the key. The temple administration and the Collector must take care of it,” he said.
Stating that there is no mention of a duplicate key in the Jagannath Temple Act, the BJP leader said, “There is some mystery behind the sudden appearance of a duplicate key. The government is indeed hiding something.”
Meanwhile, BJD spokesperson Amar Satpathy said, “The Judicial Commission has started a probe into the matter. Once the inquiry is completed everything will be clear.”
A BJP team submitted a memorandum to DGP RP Sharma seeking immediate action against the people involved in the issue and against the Singhadwar police station in Puri which did not register a case after a complaint was lodged.
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