Cops Eat Mahaprasad With Shoes On At Puri Jagannath Temple, Row Erupts

Puri: A video of two police personnel eating Lord Jagannath’s ‘Mahaprasad’ wearing their shoes has triggered a furore here.

The video shows the policemen sitting on a bench on the premises of the Jagannath temple and eating the ‘Mahaprasad’ without taking off their shoes, which is considered a religious sacrilege.

After the video went viral on social media, the Shree Jagannath Bhakta Parishad lodged a complaint at Singhadwara police station here on Monday.

The Parishad also threatened to protest in front of the Puri SP’s office if action is not taken against the two policemen within a week.

This is not the first time that such a controversy has erupted over alleged disrespect to the ‘Mahaprasad’.

Earlier in 2018, a social media post of a few tourists eating the ‘Mahaprasad’ with their shoes on had led to resentment among devotees.

According to sources, a tourist identified as Manas Das from Kolkata had posted pictures of him and his friends eating the Mahaprasad on their car with their shoes on.

After the pictures went viral, devotees and social media users had demanded a probe into the incident and strict action against the tourists.

The tourist had later deleted the pictures.

Also Read: Police Complaint Filed Against Online Sale Of Jagannath Temple ‘Mahaprasad’ In Odisha’s Puri