PURI: Puri MP Pinaki Mishra, who is under fire from the Opposition political parties for his statements on Srimandir Parikrama project, on Saturday faced ink attack and demonstrations from the youth and student wings of the BJP and Congress after claiming that nobody can stop the work.
“Lord Jagannath desires development of His temple and whoever opposes and politicises the ongoing work and attempts to stall it will not succeed,” Mishra had told mediapersons in the morning and targeted vested interests for doing Yatra party politics involving Lord Jagannath.
The MP was in Puri to attend two functions in the evening. Congress activists, who have been opposing Mishra for his “neglect” of Puri, stopped his car at Budhima Tota and showed him black flags while some painted his car with black ink. However, police is yet to apprehend any Congress workers so far.
BJP activists also demonstrated against the MP near the Jhadeswari Chhak along the VIP road. Those detained by the police include BJP Yuva Morcha district secretary Bibhuti Bhusan Rath, district coordinator Manish Mishra and party leader Sangram Parida.
Meanwhile, Alok Das, the town youth Congress leader alleged that Mishra appears in Puri when there is election. Almost all the government poverty amelioration schemes are in cold storage or poorly executed, he said and added that Mishra does precious little to ensure implementation of these projects. “Once he gets elected, he forgets the voters and his pre-election promises and commitments,” he alleged.
Earlier in the morning, Mishra claimed that it was the wish of Lord Jagannath that the work of the heritage corridor project will be completed and no agency can stop it. “The heritage corridor project is the wish of the God, people of Puri support it. It is Lord Jagannath’s wish that the area around the temple is beautified and the work is completed at the earliest. Work is going on day and night,” he said.
The MP said it was for the court to decide on the legalities of the project, AMASR Act and ASI’s role. He said that it will not be right for him to tell anything on the project as the matter is sub-judice.