‘Lord Jagannath wants it’: BJD MP on controversial Puri heritage corridor project

Hitting out at the opposition, Puri’s BJD MP Pinaki Mishra said no one can stop the work of the heritage corridor in the pilgrim town as Lord Jagannath wants it. Stating that nothing illegal was happening in the project, Mishra said that if anyone has any problem with it, they can approach the courts. “The construction work is going on round the clock. It is also the wish of Lord Jagannath that the project work is finish at the earliest,” he said on Saturday. “No agency can stop the ongoing construction work as the Lord wants it,” he added.

Mishra said that the BJP and Congress can go to the court if they have any objection to the ongoing works. Hours after he made the comment amid the controversy over the project, activists of the Congress threw inks targeting his cavalcade and showed him black flags. The incident happened near Jhadeswari temple, police said, adding that eight people were detained in connection with it. The opposition parties and several socio-religious organisations are protesting the construction works near the 12th-century shrine, which they claim have damaged the ancient structure. The government is building several modern amenities as a part of the project for the benefit of pilgrims, aimed to make Puri an international destination. Govardhan Peeth’s Shannkaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati came down heavily on the government, alleging that it was “destroying” the mutts of Puri in the name of development. “The government should not consider that the people’s mandate will remain with it forever. The BJP and BJD work hand in hand, while the Congress has become weak,” he claimed.