In protest against the temple managing committee's decision not to allow devotees in the sanctum sanctum, over 1000 protesters, under the banner of Srimandir Squashy Munch, forcibly entered the temple defying the ban yesterday.
In the melee, an employee of the temple was injured after being allegedly attacked by the protest ors.
The administrator (Rituals) D P Panda lodged a police complaint yesterday based on which cases were registered against the convene of Sri Jagannath Sena Pridarshan Patnaik and 100 others. However, no arrest was made in this connection so far, sources said.
State Chief Secretary B K Patnaik, the chief temple administrator Arabinda Padhee, district Collector Arabinda Agarwaland the SP Anup Sahoo visited the temple today and talked to the agitators to restore normalcy.
The protestors yesterday alleged that though they had given prior notice to forcibly enter the temple, none of the senior officials like the chief administrator, the collector and the SP Anup Sahoo was present in the town.
As per the Sri Jagannath Temple Act, 1957, it is the responsibility of Temple Administration to execute the decision of the Managing Committee in which the chief temple administrator, a commissioner rank officer of the state government, functions as secretary. MORE
