Odisha Govt Has Turned Puri Into Kurukshetra: Bijoy Mohapatra

Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra on Wednesday launched a broadside against the Odisha government for the demolition of mutts and historical edifices near the Jagannath Temple in Puri.

“In the last seven days, the Odisha government has turned Puri into a battlefield like the Kurukshetra. The Pilgrim Town looks like a battlefield as the state government has deployed 50 platoons of police and engaged 22 bulldozers for demolition of the century-old mutts. It seems as if an attack is being launched on the terrorist camps. The decision of the state government to demolish the mutts and other non-religious establishments has no direction,” Mohapatra told the media here.t

The BJP leader termed the state government’s decision to implement the recommendation of Justice BP Das Commission of Inquiry as grossly illegal. “The Commission has submitted its interim report which is not final. Moreover, the government ended the tenure of the Commission before the submission of the final report. Besides, the interim report of the Commission has not been tabled in the State Assembly till date,” he pointed out.

Talking about the mega plan announced by the state government for infrastructure development of Puri, Mohapatra said the government during the Nabakalebara festival had announced a development project of Rs 500 crore for Puri. “What is the outcome of the plan? Had the project been carried out in a transparent manner, the Grand Road (Bada Danda) of the town would not have flooded with rainwater. In such mega projects involving crores of rupees, there is a way to rampant corruption. You ask the people to sacrifice their livelihood and at the same time, you loot them. This double standard will not be accepted in any way,” he averred.