Bhubaneswar: Social media influencer Shubhankar Mishra has landed in a soup over his alleged misleading content on social media about Shree Jagannath Temple and Mahaprabhu.
Senior servitors of the shrine in Odisha’s Puri have threatened to lodge a formal police complaint against the journalist-turned-YouTuber if he does not immediately visit Puri and issue an apology. They argue that his video could create unnecessary confusion among pilgrims and visitors.
Some reports indicated that senior servitor Gourahari Pradhan has already lodged a complaint at Singhadwara police station, seeking his immediate arrest for spreading misinformation.
This came a day after Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida, who is also the deputy chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), set up a committee to examine a viral video, in which Shubhankar allegedly claimed that unmarried couples visiting the 12th-century shrine could risk separation and may also find it difficult to get married due to a “curse” by Radha Rani.
He termed it as the fallout of Radha Rani being denied entry into the temple by servitors for darshan of Lord Jagannath avatar of Lord Krishna.
“The video has come to our notice and a committee is examining it. The administration is framing measures to act against anyone spreading misinformation, rumours, or distorting facts about the shrine. Those who circulate such content will face appropriate legal action,” Parida said, without directly naming the influencer or his video.
Meanwhile, religious scholars in Puri said the claims had no basis in scriptures or puranas. “In all my research, I have never come across such a story. This could be imaginary. Strong legislation is needed to prevent such incidents in the future,” PTI reported, quoting Dr Bhaskar Mishra, senior researcher on Shree Jagannath culture.
