Draft Heritage Bylaws: Lingaraj Temple Sevayats Beat Gongs To Protest In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: The sevayats of Lingaraj Temple on Tuesday staged a protest against draft heritage bylaws for the two temples in Ekamra Kshetra here by beating gongs even as Union Minister Pratap Sarangi reiterated that the NMA notification in this regard will be withdrawn.

The protesting sevayats said the draft bylaws, which prohibit and restrict construction within 300 metre of Ananta Basudev and Bramheswar temples in Ekamra Kshetra, will affect the temples.

They also criticised Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi’s comments on the issue stating that she should have consulted them before issuing any statement.

Earlier in the day, Sarangi said a delegation of MPs from Odisha had met Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel and Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard.

“The draft bylaws was released by the director without the knowledge of the secretary. These were put up on the website of the National Monuments Authority (NMA) to seek suggestions and objections from people. This too should not have happened. When we objected to it, the minister immediately tweeted about the withdrawal of the notification,” Sarangi said.

Also Read: Odisha BJP Leaders Sing Different Draft Heritage Bylaws Tunes