Puri Servitors Charged With Disrespect To First Lady

Bhubaneswar: The incident of alleged misbehaviour by three servitors to Savita Kovind, the First Lady of India and wife of President Ram Nath Kovind during their visit to Jagannath Temple in Puri on March 18 this year has come to light.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan in an official communiqué has informed of the incident to the Shri Jagannath Temple Administration.

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) recently held a meeting and decided to serve a show-cause notice to the accused servitors over the matter.

As per the complaint, three servitors allegedly misbehaved with the First Lady when she was trying to offer prayers to the Lords inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The Khuntia Mekap Sevayats present there did not allow the President and his wife in and brushed them aside.

The incident was discussed at a meeting of the Temple Managing Committee on March 20.

In his reaction, senior servitor of Jagannath Temple, Damodar Pradhani said it seems that the servitors, who mostly spend their time inside the temple, were not aware of the protocol.

Assistant Secretary of Daitapati Nijog Binayak Dasmohapatra said if such an incident had taken place, the police should have arrested the three servitors immediately. “Why did the temple administration and the police did not take action? Why did the temple administration not make the incident public after the meeting on March 20? It is now clear that the temple administration is trying to malign the entire servitor community,” he observed.

Senior Congress leader Suresh Routray said if such an incident has taken place, then it is a serious issue. “If such is the plight of the First Lady, then what would be the plight of the women of our state who visit the temple? Every servitor must be aware of their behaviour. They must remember that they are not above Lord Jagannath,” he pointed out.

Asked about the matter, BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb said if the First Lady has given a written complaint, action would be taken against the erring servitors.

“The district collector is probing the incident. The temple administration has also taken up the matter seriously. We hope that appropriate action would be taken against these servitors,” he added.