BHUBANESWAR: Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das has created a flutter in political circles by reportedly donating a ‘golden kalash’ worth over Rs 1 crore to the Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.
Das, one of the richest ministers in the state, is reported to have donated the kalash made of 1.7 kg of gold and 5 kg silver to the temple on Saturday. The Shani Singnapur temple is one of the famous Shani shrines in the country. In a video, the minister was seen along with his family members performing ‘shani abhisek’ at the temple.
Das strongly defended the donation given to the temple. “This is my money and I have donated to a temple. But why so many people are worried,” he said. The minister, however, denied to have donated the pitcher. He said he has donated only Rs 10 lakh for the pitcher. “The cost of kalash could be Rs 50 lakh or `1 crore, but I have contributed Rs 10 lakh for it,” he said and added that five or 10 other persons may have contributed for it.
He also requested the media to refrain from broadcasting false reports and respect the Hindu rituals. “People in lakhs visit the shrine and I was also there on ‘Shani Amavasya’, which is considered an auspicious occasion for ‘Daana and Dharma’,” Das said and adding that he prayed for the well-being of the people of Odisha and the prosperity of the state.
Meanwhile, the BJP and Congress have lashed out at the minister for donating Rs 1 crore to a temple when many people of his constituency are migrating to other states for a job. BJP leader Tankadhar Tripathy said people of Jharsuguda, represented by the minister in the Assembly, are facing problems as they are not getting PMAY houses. The poor are also migrating as they do not get any job, he said.
Congress MLA Suresh Kumar Routray said the minister did not make any donation towards construction of any hospital or school in the state. But he went all the way to donate to a temple only to wash away all the sins committed by him, he added.