Bijoy Mohapatra Hints At ‘Conspiracy’ In Jagannath Temple Funds’ YES Bank Deposits

Bhubaneswar: The BJP on Monday alleged that the Odisha government was privy to Jagannath Temple funds deposit in the crisis-hit YES Bank.

“Though the Accountant General in a report in 2015 had indicated gross irregularities in the Jagannath Temple funds, the state government kept mum on this matter,” BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra told the media here.

Claiming involvement of some members of the Jagannath Temple Managing Committee and two government officials in this incident, he questioned as to why the state government, which had taken action against former director, Horticulture, Bijay Ketan Upadhyay on the same issue, is yet to do so in this matter till date.

Bijoy alleged involvement of vested interest groups behind it and that the entire thing was done illegally.

He said that the government, instead of writing a letter to the Union Finance minister, should apprise the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of the matter. “An ED probe into the matter will reveal the details of the conspiracy,” he pointed out.

It may be mentioned here that the BJD on Sunday had said that the saffron party was deliberately trying to misguide the people of the state.

In a statement, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty had said that everyone knows that all banks, including the YES Bank, are under the direct supervision of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which is under the of the Ministry of Finance.

“The state BJP leaders, instead of holding press meets, should rush to Delhi and take up the matter with the Finance Minister to ensure that the funds of the Jagannath Temple are safe in the YES Bank. The people of Odisha will never forgive the BJP if it fails to protect the temple funds,” he had pointed out.