Bhubaneswar: The recent visit of social media influencer Kamiya Jani to the Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri and having Mahaprasad has triggered a major controversy in the State
Opposition BJP and Congress have questioned the visit of the Kamiya Jani into the 12th century shrine stating that an alleged promoter of beef consumption has been allowed to enter the Sri Jagannath temple and took Mahaprasad with a senior BJD leader.
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that care should be taken not to hurt the sentiments of Odias, even inadvertently.
“Lord Jagannath is the centre of faith for all Odias and Sanatanis. Therefore, nothing should be done to hurt the sentiments of people, knowingly or unknowingly. No one should play with Odias’ unwavering love, devotion and reverence for the Lord,” he told mediapersons outside Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar.
However, he refrained from making any direct reference to Jani.
Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, another senior Union Minister Giriraj Singh also questioned the entry of the social influencer Kamiya Jani into Jagannath temple. He said allowing a beef promoter inside the Sri Jagannath temple is disturbing. It also disregards religion and spirituality, the Union Minister said and has called for action against those responsible for the incident.
Similarly, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Sarat Pattanayak said the incident had hurt the sentiments of devotees of Lord Jagannath and demanded an apology from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik if the visit of Kamiya Jani to the Jagannath temple had his approval.
Senior Congress leader Bijay Patnaik said the Chief Minister should seek an explanation from his leader and Sri Jagannath Temple Administration on the visit of the controversial woman into the temple for promotion of the Sri Mandir Corridor project and Mahaprasad.
He also questioned whether the need of bloggers was required for the promotion of the Sri Jagannath temple and Mahaprasad. The trouble for Kamiya Jani started after she had uploaded a video on the Sri Mandir Parikrma project undertaken by the state government which will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on January 17 next year.
Seeking a public apology from the Chief Minister on the issue, he said Congress will resort to extreme steps if the CM fails to do so.
Meanwhile, the Shree Jagannath Sanskruti Suraksha Abhiyan (SJSSA) activists on Saturday held a protest demonstration in the state capital demanding stringent action against those responsible for destroying the Jagannath culture.
Taking strong exception to the alleged visit of a promoter of beef consumption into the Sri Jagannath temple and eating Mahaprasad, SJSSA media convenor Ajaya Kumar Rout demanded the State Government to take action against anti-Hindu mindset and warned a statewide movement to protect the Jagannath culture.
However, BJD rubbished the allegations and accused the BJP of spreading lies. The ruling party also clarified that Jani had taken ‘Mahaprasad’ at Radha Ballav ‘Mutt’ (monastery) and no camera was allowed inside the temple premises.
“Let Lord Jagannath bless the BJP leaders to overcome their narrow mindset,” a BJD statement said while accusing the saffron party of becoming intolerant over the development of the temple. Meanwhile, Jani, in a statement, clarified that she has never eaten beef.