Temple row: Apology sought from Pyari

PURI: Even after Pyarimohan Mohapatra, BJD Rajya Sabha member, retracted his comments on the entry of non-Hindus into the sanctum sanctorum of Jagannath Temple, the dust refuses to settle down. On Thursday hundreds of activists of Sri Jagannath Sevayat Sammillani, Jagannath Sena, Aditya Vahini, Vedanta Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti, Kumbhakar Nijog and Bhusampati Surakshya Parishad took out a rally flaying Mohapatra for advocating the entry of non-Hindus.  At a meeting at Marichikote temple, they demanded an unconditional apology from Mohapatra and warned politicians not to step into religious matters.Swamy Neeschalananda Saraswati, the Sankaracharya of Gobardhan Peetha, and Puri Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb released two separate statements. The Seer stated that the violation to the age-old religious conventions was not acceptable. The Gajapati said Mukti mandap, comprising scholars headed by Jagat Guru Sankaracharya of Gobardhan peeth, were the competent authority to be consulted in this matter.