The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) along with Jagannath Sanskruti Manch, Hindu Jagaran Samuksha, Rastrotkarsh Sahitya Parisad, Patanjali Yoga Samiti, Mahabodhi Society, Rama Rajya Parishad and other organisations on Friday strongly opposed the proposal of the Supreme Court of entry of non-Hindus into the Jagannath Temple Puri.

Addressing a Press meet here on Friday, VHP Odisha working president Dr Badrinath Patnaik said the entry of other religion persons into the Jagannath temple would not be accepted at any cost.

They also submitted memoprandum to Supreme Court-appointed Amicus Curie Gopal Subramanium demanding withdrawal of the proposal. They mentioned about the reactions of the different organisations to the proposal.

Talking about the abolition of hereditary Sevaks and appointment of Sevaks, the members said, “The Sevaks are expert Vedic scholars and there are 119 types of Seva to the Lords and one cannot go on appointing Sevaks as presently there is no system of Vedic education either at school or college level. We cannot think of abolishing having Sevaks on hereditary ground.”

To the apex court’s proposal that a single authority needed for security management, they said the security system should be a three-tier system. While CRPF personnel needed to be deployed at all the four main gates, Odisha police and Jagannath Temple Police (JTP) should be used to ensure security inside the temple.

The members also mentioned their opinions over other proposals in the memorandum.

Among others, Jagannath Sanskruti Manch Odisha convenor Sakti Sankar Mishra, Hindu Jagaran Samukshya president Ajit Kumar Patnaik, Rastrotkarsh Sahitya Parisad general secretary Dr Dhirendra Nanda and Patanjali Yoga Samiti, Odisha president Dr Pramod Acharya were present.