Puri: Congress workers hurled ink and tomatoes at BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra near Jhadeswari Chhak in Puri on Wednesday.
Patra was in Puri to protest against the heritage corridor project.
After the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) informed the Orissa High Court that the Odisha government did not take its permission for the Puri Heritage Corridor project, Patra has strongly criticised the BJD government in the state.
“If I don’t come here and raise my voice, it will be unfair… it will be unfair to Lord Jagannath. We are all His devotees. I’m not just a politician but also a devotee of Lord Jagannath. As a devotee, it has hurt me deeply. It has hurt the entire Odia community,” he told mediapersons in Puri.
Asked what steps the BJP was planning after the ASI’s report, Patra said he had come to Puri to pray to Lord Jagannath and would do as directed by the Lord.
“The Jagannath Temple in Puri is not a structure. It’s our faith. No one should be allowed to endanger it by sending bulldozers and JCB machines near it,” he said.
Terming the Odisha government “ziddkhor sarkar” with “kalapahadiya” mentality, Patra said, “I will pray before Lord Jagannath to give good sense to the Odisha government and also to Pinaki Mishra (BJD leader and Puri MP). This government has destroyed our heritage. I’m not going to stay silent anymore.”
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