New Delhi, May 25: The Supreme Court has stayed the demolition of an ancient temple in Odisha’s Cuttack district and issued notice to the state government on a petition challenging the proposed demolition move.

A bench of Justices B.S. Chauhan and Dipak Misra on Friday ordered “status quo” on the state government’s reported move to demolish the Ananta Vasudeva temple near the Mahanadi river. The order comes after counsel Suresh Chandra Tripathy, appearing for the Ananta Gopal Bhakta Samaj Sevasangha, urged the apex court to stay the demolition drive.

The counsel told the apex court that the demolition move was illegal as the apex court on January 6, 2011, had only directed destruction of all places of worship like temples, mosques, churches and gurudwaras that are constructed illegally on public places obstructing vehicular and pedestrian movements.

The organisation submitted that the Ananta Vasudeva temple was constructed much before 1987 and there was no illegality in its construction.

“Permission to file SLPs is granted. Issue notice on SLPs as well as on application for condonation of delay in filing SLPs, returnable in two weeks.

“Status quo as on today regarding the temple in question,” the apex court said in its brief order.