Demolition of Gopabandhu statue’s stairs near Puri Srimandir sparks resentment
Puri: Resentment is brewing among people over demolition of the steps at the statue of Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das in Odisha’s pilgrim town of Puri. The incident came to fore after a video of the site went viral on social media.
The statue, located near Shree Jagannath Temple, was recently found covered with white cloth in a mysterious development, sparking curiosity among locals as well as visitors to the seaside pilgrim town.
The cover was, however, removed soon after the video of the incident went viral on social media platforms. The steps that were used to garland the statue of Pandit Gopabandhu Das were found demolished.
While people have expressed anger over the incident terming it as an insult to the great freedom fighter, it is yet to be ascertained as to who has demolished the steps.
People belonging to different spheres have raised questions over the development and want to know as to why Gopabandhu Das is being humiliated in such a manner. Several locals alleged that the demolition was carried out on the pretext of construction work for the Srimandir Heritage Corridor project.
A servitor of the 12th century shrine quoted some locals as stating that the demolition was done to perform some special rituals of the Temple. However, the steps were not creating any hurdle, he said, describing the incident as an insult to the great freedom fighter.
However, the district administration of Puri is yet to make any comment on the incident.
