New Delhi: A day after BJD Supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik demanded immediate withdrawal of the contentious draft bye-laws by the National Monuments Authority (NMA) issued on Ananta Basudev and Brahmeswar temples intimately linked to age-old Lord Lingaraj Temple here in this city of temples, a delegation of Governing BJD MPs met Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel at the National Capital on 13 February.
The delegation demanded withdrawal of the by-laws during the meeting.
Notably, the Chief Minister had tweeted on Friday that the Central Government should immediately withdraw the National Monuments Authority draft bylaws on Ananta Basudev and Brahmeswar temples of Ekamra Kshetra.
Naveen also remarked that it would have been appropriate for the Central agencies to take the State into confidence on sensitive religious issues.
He had appealed to all the MPs from State to take up the sensitive matter with the Union Government as well as the Union Culture Minister as it involves the sentiments of lakhs of devotees of Odisha, lives and livelihood of sebayats, linked to the smooth conduct of Nitis of Lord Lingaraj.
Notably, this is the second such demand within a week time while the same NMA draft bye-laws on Srimandir at Puri has already been withdrawn following pressure exerted on the Union Government.