Gajapati Maharaj Debyasingha Deb's public praise to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for showing interest to develop Puri and the Lord Jagannath Temple there, generated a row on Monday with the opposition Congress and BJP denouncing it.
The opposition parties said the Gajapati Maharaj, considered as the first servitor of the Lord, should not forget others who contributed towards the development of Puri and the 12th century shrine.
"Most of the developmental works for Puri was done during the tenure of former chief minister J B Patnaik. Janaki Babu had ensured the Grand Road in front of the temple encroachment free and also constructed Puri-Konark marine drive," Congress MLA Suresh Routray said.
"As an Odia, I respect the Gajapati Maharaj. But I denounce his praise for the chief minister. Gajapati should be neutral to all and not side with any leader or party," he said.
Senior BJP MLA J N Mishra said, "Naveen Babu is an expert in earning praise without doing any work. I do not accept Gajapati's statement."
While addressing a spiritual gathering in Puri on Sunday, Gajapati said Naveen Patnaik had shown interest to develop Puri as a world heritage site and construct a security zone around the Sri Jagannath Temple.
"No chief minister since the formation of separate Odisha state had expressed concerns for the temple or the pilgrim city. We all know that former CM Janaki Ballav Patnaik was knowledgeable and well informed about the Jagannath culture. But such things didn't happen during his period. It's surprising to see devotion and spirituality in Naveen Babu," Gajapati said.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
