Jual persuades Shankaracharya to visit chariots
A day after the announcement of the Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth that he would not climb the chariots without the company of his disciples during the Rath Yatra, senior Odisha BJP leader and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan called on him and held discussions with him for nearly an hour.
“It is a matter of grave concern that the Shankarcharya has been deeply hurt by the diktats of the State Government and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA). They have asked him to climb the chariots alone without his disciples. The Government should refrain from insulting the seer. It is high time for the Chief Minister to intervene in the matter and end such unforeseen circumstances,” Pradhan told reporters after the meeting.
Soon after Pradhan’s meeting with the Shankaracharya, senior BJP leader and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram also visited the seer at the Govardhan Peeth here and persuaded him not to boycott his customary rituals during the Rath Yatra .
“The letter of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration has deeply hurt the Shankaracharya. I have, however, requested him to mount the chariots and perform his part in the festival,” Oram told reporters after the meeting. He also said the State Government should not interfere in religious affairs or do anything to diminish the authority of the top Hindu seer.
