NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress on Saturday came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party after it objected to naming the newly inaugurated shrine in West Bengal’s Digha as Jagannath Dham.
During a press conference, TMC leader Jay Prakash Majumdar accused the BJP-led Odisha government of hypocrisy in its ‘Hindutva’ stance and said any concerns regarding the temple’s consecration should be addressed by the four Shankaracharyas, not political leaders.
“The BJP is in power in Odisha. The question was raised by one of the BJP leaders… If they question the establishment of a Hindu Mandir, this shows their desperation,” Majumdar said.
“On one hand, the BJP claims to be a ‘Hinduwadi’ party, and on the other hand, they are raising questions on the Pratishtha of the temple (Digha Jagannath temple)… They should look into the ethics of their party. If there is any question on the establishment, then it should be asked by the four Shankaracharyas,” he added.
This comes after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Rs 250 crore temple on April 30, with critics in Odisha, including BJP leaders, objecting to its ‘Jagannath Dham’ label.
Following the consecration, the Odisha government ordered an investigation into the alleged adoption of the name and to examine claims that surplus wooden logs from the Puri shrine had been used to create the idols of the Digha temple.
The probe will be carried out by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri.
In a letter addressed to SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said, “Contradictory information has been circulating regarding the construction of a temple of Lord Jagannath in Digha — the name of the temple being changed to Jagannath Dham, the participation of sevayats (servitors) from Puri in the consecration of the temple, and the construction of idols using leftover wood from Puri are unacceptable.”
Servitors of Puri Jagannath Temple also urged chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi to discuss the issue with his West Bengal counterpart, expressing their concern about the use of Jagannath Dham as the temple’s name in Digha.
Prior to the Digha temple’s inauguration, multiple associations of servitors of Puri temple had cautioned their members against performing any puja or preparing prasad at the ceremony, threatening disciplinary action.
Meanwhile, Union Minister and BJP West Bengal chief Sukanta Majumdar said that Mamata was trying to win the upcoming state Assembly elections by “climbing on the shoulders” of Lord