West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refuted allegations that “sacred neem wood” from Odisha’s famous Jagannath Temple in Puri was used in making the idols for the new Jagannath temple in Digha.
Speaking in Murshidabad on Monday, Banerjee called the claims “baseless and fabricated”. She said, “Why would we use stolen neem wood? We have our sources of neem wood. These allegations are completely baseless and unacceptable.”
She also questioned the uproar over building a Jagannath temple in West Bengal. “Why are they so angry just because we have built a Jagannath temple in Digha? Is it a crime to worship Lord Jagannath in West Bengal?” she asked, suggesting the controversy was politically motivated.
Background of the controversy
The controversy began after Odisha’s Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) questioned a senior servitor, Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra, over the alleged use of leftover sacred wood from the Puri temple in the Digha temple. Dasmohapatra had overseen the idol installation in Digha on April 30, which Mamata Banerjee had attended. Around 56 servitors from Puri reportedly took part in the ceremony.
While the SJTA has not directly blamed the West Bengal government, it raised concern that leftover wood from the 2015 ‘Nabakalebara’ ritual — when the idols at Puri temple are replaced — might have been used without permission.
Banerjee said religious structures exist across India and should not be a reason for conflict. “We respect the temple in Puri and we also respect Jagannath Dham. Kaali Temple and Gurdwaras are everywhere across the country. Temples are there in all places...Why is there so much anger on this issue?” she said.
Migrants from Bengal harassed in Odisha
The Chief Minister also expressed concern over reports that Bengali-speaking migrant workers were being harassed in Odisha. “Just like migrant workers from Odisha work peacefully in Bengal, people from Bengal also work in Odisha. I have received disturbing reports that even those merely speaking Bengali are being attacked there. This is deeply condemnable,” she said.
Banerjee said she has asked West Bengal’s top police officer to speak with his Odisha counterpart. “Our DGP will speak with his Odisha counterpart regarding this. We will not tolerate attacks on our people,” she said.
The Digha Jagannath temple, supported by the West Bengal government, is being developed as a major religious and tourist site on the Bay of Bengal coast.
