Bhubaneswar, Jan. 18: Dalit organisations, including the Ambedkar-Lohia Vichar Manch, today joined hands, demanding a public apology from woman and child development minister Pramila Mallick for her “casual approach” towards the controversy over her entry to the Akhandalamani temple, Bhadrak, on January 14.

Pramila, who entered the sanctum sanctorum, had triggered protests from a section of sevayats (priests) for being a Harijan.

“The minister represents the Dalit community and being in power, she was supposed to deal with the matter with enough seriousness rather than trying to sweep it under carpet. Instead of speaking for the rights of Dalits, she repeatedly displayed her helplessness and blamed it on the servitors and thereby encouraging untouchability. She has to apologise publicly or resign,” said Sangram Mallick, the president of the association.

Earlier, Pramila had reacted mildly to the incident, saying that that she had no idea about the temple rules and was led by sevayats themselves. “I went wherever the sevayats took me. Had they told me that I was not supposed to enter there, I would not have,” she had said in a statement.

Irked on her silence over the highly sensitive issue, the activists have planned for a meeting on January 27. Demanding immediate legal action against the priests who opposed Pramila’s entry to the temple, the activists also demanded action against the district police and administration that tried to hush away the “very serious” matter. The association blamed them for encouraging “untouchability”, instead of giving protection to people belonging to Scheduled Castes.

“Although it was the duty of the administration to facilitate the entry of the Dalits into the temple, they were taking a partisan stand,” Mallick said.