Amid political slugfest, Patnaik demands NMA bylaws withdrawal for Bhubaneswar temples

Odisha Chief Minister NaveenPatnaik on Friday urged the Centre to immediately withdraw thenotification for the draft heritage bylaws of the NationalMonuments Authority for two major temples in Bhubaneswar.

The proposed bylaws prohibit any kind of constructionwithin a radius of 100 metres of an archaeological site,jeopardising the Odisha government's plan to develop theLingaraj Temple and its surroundings, known as Ekamra Kshetra,as a heritage site at a cost of Rs 700 crore.

''Central Govt should immediately withdraw the NationalMonuments Authority Draft Bylaws on Ananta Basudev &Brahmeswar Temple of #EkamraKshetra. It would have beenappropriate for the Central agencies to take the State intoconfidence on sensitive religious issues,'' the chief ministertweeted.

Patnaik urged the MPs from the state to take up thematter with Union Culture Minister Prahlad Patel as itinvolves the sentiments of lakhs of devotees of Odisha,besides the lives and livelihood of priests.

The Centre had earlier exempted the Jagannath Templein Puri from the bylaws.

The issue has led to a political slugfest in the statewith ruling BJD, and opposition Congress and BJP training gunsat each other.

The Jagannath Temple in Puri was exempted after thechief minister raised the issue and separate delegations ofBJD and BJP MPs met Patel.

Patnaik's tweets came a day after 'missing posters',seeking to find Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi of the BJPsurfaced in the state capital. The posters questioned hersilence over the issue.

The servitors who live in the adjoining areas of thetemples said that they would be severely affected if thebylaws are implemented.

''We cannot construct or repair our houses due to theproposed laws. If the servitors do not live close to temples,the rituals will be affected,'' said a servitor of the LingarajTemple.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of LingarajTemple and lit diyas, demanding immediate withdrawal of thedraft bylaws.

The Congress also held a demonstration in the statecapital, demanding their withdrawal.

The BJP claimed that there was an attempt by the stategovernment to mislead the people of Odisha on the issue.