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BJP aims to halt BJD's temple run amid Bhubaneswar heritage demolition row
BJP, which has been watching the BJD's growing interest in state's temples for the last two years with unease, was quick to jump into the fray over the demolition of heritage structures in Bhubaneswar.
As the outrage over demolition of heritage structures in Bhubaneswar rages on, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Odisha may have chanced upon an opportunity to stall the BJD's temple politics through renovation of heritage temples like the Jagannath temple in Puri and the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar.
Last week Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), entrusted with the upkeep and maintenance of 28 monuments, with some dating back to the 8th century, found a 10th century monument close to the 11th century Lingaraj temple, the largest temple in Odisha’s capital. The ASI officials found three subsidiary shrines dating back to the 10th century near Suka-Sari temple, a 13th century temple near the Lingaraj temple. The joy of discovering an old monument soon turned into outrage as ASI officials found that the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, in its eagerness to develop the area around the Lingaraj temple, had vandalised several old monuments.
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage claims to have found evidence of blatant violations of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act by the civil body, which undertook the demolition work through mechanical devices, it said.
BJP, which has been watching the BJD's growing interest in state's temples for the last two years with unease, was quick to jump into the fray. Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday wrote to Union culture minister Prahallad Singh Patel requesting him to send an expert team from the ASI in Delhi to carry out a detailed study and thorough scientific excavation of the area around Lingaraj temple.
"There is an urgent need to act quickly in order to salvage and preserve what remains of this priceless ancient Odisha architecture. I seek your urgent intervention for preservation of the rich cultural and architectural heritage of the country by protecting the centuries old temples in Bhubaneswar,” Pradhan wrote. Soon after, a team of BJP leaders visited the site and demanded a halt to the ongoing work till the entire area surrounding the complex is excavated.
As the demolition work around the Lingaraj temple comes to a halt, political observers say the BJP may no longer be a silent spectator to BJD’s efforts to corner all the credit for development of heritage temples in what is also seen
as the Naveen Patnaik government’s bid to counter BJP's Hindutva edge and growing influence in the coastal districts of the state.
“BJP is aware that BJD is trying to snatch its religious card through development of old temples in a deeply religious state like Odisha. So it may be pleased at the turn of events last week as it effectively meant a hold on civil work around the Lingaraj temple for the next few months," said political science professor Gyana Ranjan Swain of GM University in Sambalpur. "But how far will it be successful in countering BJD's plan is a matter of debate."
A senior BJP leader said BJD's plan to use the temple card to neutralise the BJP's vote base may not succeed. "The people have seen through the BJD's gemeplan. The people know that the government went out of its way to stall Rath Yatra last year till the SC intervened. This is a question of faith and people would not forgive the party for its misadventures. Their politics would be exposed soon," said Lekhashree Samantsinghar, BJP leader.
Also Read: Bhubaneswar civic body destroys heritage structures around Lingaraj temple
BJD leader and former mayor of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Anant Narayan Jena said it would be wrong to see the development of the area around Lingaraj temple purely from the religious angle. "The chief minister is a heritage lover and that's why he is stressing on the development of such places. It is also giving a huge boost to tourism," said Jena.
Over the last 2 years, Naveen Patnaik government has taken a special interest in development of temples such as Jagannath temple of Puri, Lingaraj temple of Bhubaneswar, Baladevjew temple of Kendrapara and Samaleswari temple of Sambalpur. While it has announced projects worth ₹3,500 crore for development of Puri into a heritage city, a special act for Lingaraj temple along with the Ekamra Kshetra project for development of the area around the temple.
