The controversy over demolition of mutts around Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri, raged on Thursday with the Opposition BJP accusing the Naveen Patnaik government of indiscriminately bulldozing structures having archaeological value without any consultation.
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Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, who had unsuccessfully contested from the Puri Lok Sabha seat recently, met the Shankaracharya of Puri, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, in the wake of stiff resistance to the demolition move from mutt officials and seers of Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti. “There is an attempt to wipe out the mutt culture. Attempts are also being made to get rid of religious and spiritual leadership and bring society under secular governance,” said the Puri Shankaracharya.