Kolkata, April 30 (NationPress) The head of the BJP’s Information Technology cell and central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, delivered a significant message on Wednesday morning regarding the tragic fire at a hotel on Madan Mohan Burman Street in central Kolkata. He questioned whether the residents of West Bengal are suffering as a result of Mamata Banerjee’s ambition to compete with Puri’s sacred Jagannath Dham.

The fire broke out on Tuesday night in a six-story hotel, claiming the lives of 14 individuals by Wednesday morning. This event coincided with the inauguration of the Lord Jagannath Temple at Digha in East Midnapore district, which has been designed to resemble the renowned Shree Jagannath Dham temple in Puri, Odisha.

Malviya’s comments came at a time when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was present at Digha, accompanied by her entire Cabinet, for the temple's inauguration.

In a message shared on his official X account, Malviya raised doubts about whether the citizens of West Bengal are facing repercussions from Banerjee’s 'bold' and 'disrespectful' efforts to rival the revered Jagannath Dham.

“First, the catastrophic Kalbaisakhi storm struck Digha on April 26, and now the fire has occurred just before the inauguration of Mamata Banerjee’s Jagannath Temple during Akshaya Tritiya.

“Are the people of West Bengal enduring the fallout of Banerjee’s audacious and irreverent rivalry with Puri’s sacred Jagannath Dham, the divine residence of Prabhu Jagannath and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? Prabhu Jagannath does not dwell where dishonesty, deceit, and selfishness prevail. This ought to be recognized as His message,” Malviya’s post on X stated.

Malviya lamented that unfortunate incidents keep happening in Kolkata due to the government's negligence, the absence of fire safety measures, inadequate urban planning, and rampant illegal practices by the promoter lobby.

Previously, controversies arose regarding the Digha temple, as the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly questioned Banerjee’s assertions that the Lord Jagannath temple in Digha is modeled after the iconic Puri Temple.

LoP Adhikari urged the Chief Minister to clarify why the proposed temple has been designated as the Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre rather than the Shree Jagannath Temple.

“The Chief Minister should promptly instruct to change the name from 'Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre' to 'Shree Jagannath Temple' in all relevant state government documents.

This name alteration should also be reflected in the tenders and documents of the WBHIDCO, which is accountable for constructing the proposed temple in Digha, the expenses for which are covered by the state’s treasury,” the LoP asserted.