Puri: Congress staged a massive demonstration on the grand road in Odisha’s Puri on Monday demanding immediate steps to open the Ratna Bhandar and all four gates of Shree Jagannath Temple in the pilgrim town.
Activists and leaders of Congress from across the state congregated in the seaside town and took out an impressive rally from Gundicha temple to the Srimandir office. Raising slogans in support of their demands, the demonstrators marched on the grand road holding placards, banners and Congress flags.
Speaking to media, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak said the rally has been organised to highlight the demands of the devotees of Lord Jagannath.
Mounting a scathing attack on the state government for not opening all the gates of the 12th century shrine, the PCC chief said it is shameful that the government is giving little attention to the convenience of the devotees visiting Srimandir.
Noting that a large number of devotees are expected to throng the pilgrim town to seek the blessings of the Lords during holy month of Kartik, he said if the state government fails to meet the demands before the Kartik month, Congress will intensify its agitation across the state.
Stating that Covid-19 situation no longer exists, the Congress leader sought to know as to why the state government is reluctant in opening all gates of Srimandir.
Another senior Congress leader and MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said that devotees are facing a lot of inconvenience as they have to enter the shrine only through the Singhadwara. Though the western gate is opened only for the residents of Puri, it is of little use for those visiting the temple from different parts of the state and outside, he said.
State Congress Campaign Committee chairman Bijay Patnaik said the Congress is demanding the opening of all gates of Srimandir as per the wishes of the scores of people and devotees.
The Congress leaders said that the people of the state have also been demanding immediate steps to open and repair the Ratna Bhandar of the 12th century shrine.
Claiming that the state government has created barrier between the devotees and the Lord, they threatened to further intensify the agitation to press the demand.
The state government must open the Ratna Bhandar for necessary repair work and also for a detailed inventory of the gold and other ornaments stored in the chambers, they said.
Senior Congress leader and former PCC president Prasad Harichandan said that the government must tell the people of the state about the condition of the Ratna Bhandar and whether the valuables stored in the chamber are safe.
The rallyists also submitted a memorandum addressed to the Governor at the office of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) , sources said.
In another development, Congress and other like-minded parties have decided to organise ‘Jan Akrosh’ rallies across the state from the first week of November against the state government and the Centre ahead of elections due next year.
The decision was taken at a meeting of 16 non-BJD and non-BJP political parties of the state on Sunday. Issues on which to launch a campaign against the BJD and BJP were discussed at the meeting.
This apart, a 17-member coordination committee headed by the PCC president was formed to oversee the campaign till the elections are over.
The first Jan Akrosh rally will be held in the first week of November in Rayagada where Congress has a sound base followed by the second one at Rourkela a week later. The third and fourth rallies will be held at Sambalpur and Balasore.
The campaign will be launched over issues of a caste census, deteriorating law and order situation, growing unemployment, neglect of SC and ST communities and large-scale corruption in the state.
