BJP agitation over missing Ratna Bhandar keys from Monday

The opposition BJP today hit out at Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the missing keys of the Shree Jagannath Temple's Ratna Bhandar here and announced a plan to launch an agitation on the issue from Monday.

As part of the stir, party activists would demonstrate in all district headquarters and sub-divisional towns on June 11, BJP state unit president Basant Panda said.

Slamming Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for remaining silent on the issue which has triggered state-wide outcry, Panda said the judicial inquiry ordered into the matter was aimed at diverting the people's attention.

The state government has constituted a judicial commission headed by retired Odisha High Court judge Ragubir Dash to probe the circumstances under which the keys of the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar went missing.

BJP workers would stage demonstration at all the police stations in the state and lodge FIR regarding the missing keys of the inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar for a week from June 12, Panda told reporters here.

'Diyas' would also be offered in all Jagannath temples in different parts of the state during the period, he said after a team of senior BJP leaders visited the Jagannath Temple here.

A controversy erupted earlier this month when Puri District Collector Arvind Agarwal observed in a temple management committee meeting that there was no information confirming the availability of the keys.

On April 4, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration had made an attempt to open the inner chamber of the treasury for inspection. But they could not open the room for non-availability of the keys and had to return after peeping into the chamber through a broken window.