Pyaris comments create ripples in Puri

PURI: BJD Leader and Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra’s comments on ‘entry for all’ to the Jagannath temple to promote tourism in Orissa have stirred a hornet’s nest.Servitors of the temple, activists of Jagannath sena and devotees criticised Mohaptra for favouring entry of people of all religions into the temple against the tradition. Stating that people of all religions and foreigners are allowed darshan of the Trinity during the Rath Yatra, head of Daita Servitors Jagannath Swain Mahapatra asked Mohapatra to withdraw his statement.Mohapatra had advocated entry of people of all religions at a workshop on tourism, organised by the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Orissa (HRAO) at Bhubaneswar on Sunday.Terming the statement as irresponsible, Jagannath Sena led by its president Priyadarshan Pattnaik burnt effigy of Mohapatra near the Lion’s Gate  on Monday. They have also filed a complaint against the MP at the Simhadwar police station.