BJP MPs from Odisha have written to the Centre asking for the inclusion of two tourist spots from the state in the list of India’s Iconic Tourist Sites.The reference to the development of 17 iconic tourism sites in India in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech earlier this year had garnered strong criticism from BJD, as no monument or tourist site from the state had made it to the list.
The letter by BJP MPs, that was written earlier this week and released on Friday, requests the Union Tourism Ministry to include the Jagannath Temple in Puri and the Sun Temple in Konark to the list.Calling both temples a “matchless mix of heritage and spirituality”, the signatories proposed a holistic development of tourism for Raghurajpur crafts village and the Chilika Lake as well. The letter has been signed both by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs representing the state