Criticism against the Naveen Patnaik Government over deviation in the traditional Nabakalebara rituals of Lord Jagannath grew on Tuesday with lawyers’ bodies announcing that they would abstain from their work in all courts across the State on Wednesday demanding a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The lawyers will abstain from work to highlight their demand for a judicial probe into the mismanagement in the Brahma Parivartan ritual (shifting of Brahma from the old idols to new ones) as part of the Nabakalebara festival of Lord Jagannath. As per the schedule, the Brahma Parivartan rituals were to be undertaken on midnight of June 15, but the same secret ritual was held on the day time of June 16. The delay in the ritual was caused as a section of Datapati servitors violated the traditional norms.
The Congress too had earlier demanded a judicial probe into the mismanagement and resignation of the Chief Minister.
Extending its support to the cease work call given by the lawyers of Puri District Bar Association, the All Odisha Lawyers’ Association demanded that the inquiry be conducted by a sitting Judge of the Orissa High Court. The Association opposed the ongoing inquiry into the incident being conducted the Jagannath Temple Administration. The Temple Administrator should not be a part of the inquiry, said Bibhu Prasad Tripathy, general secretary of All Odisha Lawyers’ Association.
The Orissa High Court Bar Association also passed a resolution announcing that lawyers would abstain from work on Wednesday. The Association further requested Bar Associations of the District courts to join the strike.
PTI adds:
Meanwhile, the powerful body of temple servitors, Daitapati Nijog, tendered an apology for the “blunder.”
“It (Brahma Paribartan during day time) was a blunder. I, on behalf of the Daitapati Nijog (union), tender an apology. We also pledge that such mistake will not recur,” Daitapati Nijog Secretary Premananda Dasmohapatra told reporters while visiting Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) office to depose before an inquiry conducted by the chief administrator.
In another development, apparently in a bid to please the media in the State, Mr. Patnaik on Tuesday stressed the need for implementation of a new advertising policy by the Information and Public Relations Department.
Prasanta Patnaik