Bhubaneswar: The missing keys of the inner temple treasury (Ratna Bhandar) of 12th century Sri Jagannath temple has triggered a controversy with the Opposition BJP seeking a clarification from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Puri Sankaracharaya demanding a probe on the issue.
BJP spokesman Pitambar Acharaya questioned the silence maintained by both Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Law Minister Pratap Jena on the missing keys.
He came down heavily on the ruling of BJD government for playing the sentiment of 4.5 crore people of odisha besides lakhs of the devotees of Lod Jagannath across the country and abroad.
Mr Acharaya said under whose custody the keys of the "Ratna Bhandar"( temple treasury) was kept and who is responsible for the loss of the keys. The chief minister, he said must clarify as to whether the keys of Ratna Bhandar is really lost.
As per the Jagannath temple Act, the Ratna Bhandar is to open in every three years to examine and keep the record of the gold ornaments and other precious metals of the deities of the Jagannath temple stored inside the temple treasury.
The BJP leader said during the last 18 years of the BJD rule no attempt has been made to open the inner temple treasury of the Jagannath temple even for once.
It was only on March 3 last on the direction of the Odisha high Court a 16 member team inspected the Ratna Bhandar of the Jagannath temple but they did not open the inner Ratna Bhandar in the absence of key and returned empty handed examining the inner portion of the Ratna Bhandar from outside through a iron gate.(UNI)
