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Bhubaneswar: The state unit of BJP Monday demanded apology from Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra and his party Congress for his statement on Puri Shankaracharya and Govardhan Mutt.
Saturday, Mishra had raised objections to non-disclosure of Govardhan Mutt’s financial transactions during last 10 years and also the surname of the Puri seer.
State BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra said, “It is a known fact that Swami Nischalananda Saraswati is the chief of Puri Govardhan Mutt. Questioning Shankaracharya’s surname and his educational background is unfortunate and deplorable.”
Questioning Shankaracharya’s authority has hurt the sentiments of crores of Lord Jagannath devotees and has undermined the Jagannath culture, he said demanding apology from Mishra and the Congress.
Responding to the allegations of Mohapatra, Mishra said, “Whatever I said in the House is right and I stand for it. There is no question of apology.”
According to Mishra, the previous Shankaracharya had mentioned in his will that his successor has to adopt the surname of ‘Debatirtha’; otherwise, the person cannot be the Shankaracharya. However, the current Shankaracharya does not identify himself as ‘Debatirtha’ instead has chosen ‘Saraswati’.
