Sikhs hold demonstration to protest demolition of Mangu Mutt

Members of the Sikh community including two MLAs from Punjab staged a demonstration here on Sunday to protest the demolition of the centuries-old Mangu Mutt as part of Odisha Governments beautification plan near Shri Jagannath temple at Puri.

The demonstrators, holding placards and banners and raising slogans, marched from Kharavela Nagar Gurudwara to Master Canteen square and lashed out at the state government for its decision to pull down the Mangu mutt.

Demolition of Mangu mutt is being undertaken as per the state governments plan to develop a heritage corridor around the 12th century shrine in the seaside pilgrim town. Around two months ago Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had appealed to his Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik to not raze the religious institution associated with Guru Nanak Dev.

The protestors demanded rollback of Odisha governments order to demolish Punjabi Mutt and Bauli Mutt for beautification of Puri.

Members of Sikh community residing in the state capital staged the protest in which two legislators from Punjab also participated to press for the withdrawal of the order to raze the Mangu mutt, said a demonstrator