Kolkata, Feb 19 Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, challenged on Wednesday the claims made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the floor of the Assembly on Tuesday that the proposed Jagannath Temple at Digha in the state's East Midnapore district has been modeled after the iconic Shree Jagannath Temple at Puri in Odisha.
“On Tuesday, the Chief Minister questioned my courage in questioning her claims about the proposed temple at Digha which she claims to have been modeled after the iconic temple at Puri. Now, I challenge her to answer my questions regarding her claims on this count,” Adhikari said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the Leader of the Opposition, the Chief Minister should clarify why the proposed temple at Digha has been named as “Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre” and not as “Shree Shree Jagannath Temple”.
“The Chief Minister should immediately give instructions so that the name is changed from ‘Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre’ to ‘Shree Shree Jagannath Temple’ in all the related state government documents. The name change should also be made in the tenders and documents of WBHIDCO, responsible for construction of the proposed temple at Digha, the cost of which is borne from the state government exchequer," the BJP leader said.
Secondly, Adhikari referred to the traditional practice of only Hindus being allowed inside the Puri temple and suggested that a notification written in five languages is displayed at the main entrance gate of the upcoming temple.
According to him, since according to the Chief Minister, the proposed temple at Digha is being modeled after the Puri temple, similar notification regarding entry for only Hindus should be displayed at the entrance gate of the proposed temple.
"The Chief Minister has questioned my courage, and therefore, I want to remind her that in the 2021 Assembly elections, I contested against her from Nandigram constituency and also defeated her by 1,956 votes,” the leader of the opposition said.
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