Bhubaneswar: Union parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Goel has been accused of violating a ban on taking pictures inside the ASI-protected Lingaraj temple here.
The minister stirred a controversy when he shared the year-old pictures of him offering prayers inside the temple on social media.
The issue took a political twist with the BJD and the Congress criticising Goel for posting the photographs. The state BJP put up a feeble defence by blaming the administration for not informing Goel about the ban on photography inside the temple.
Goel had posted three photographs, which were taken during his visit to the shrine in April last year, to greet the people of Odisha on Sunday on the occasion of state's foundation day. However, in the face of protests the minister deleted the photographs.
He tweeted: "Yesterday on the occasion of #Utkala-Dibasa, I had by mistake tweeted pictures of the Lingaraja Temple from my trip last year. I did not wish to hurt anyone's sentiments and therefore, I am withdrawing the tweet/images."
Last month, cine star Raveena Tandon had posed for a photo shoot of a beauty product inside the Lingaraj temple and stirred a row.
However, the BJD demanded an apology from him.
BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Prash-ant Nanda said: "How could he take pictures from inside the temple when there is a ban? He should apologise to the people of Odisha."
Congress leader Suresh Routray said: "He is yet to tender unconditional apology to the people. If he does not resign on his own, the Prime Minister must sack him."
BJP state vice-president Samir Mohanty said: "The issue should not be politicised. He has already withdrawn the pictures. But our concern is that how such incidents are occurring time and again in the temple. The officials should inform the visitors about the rules."
Temple trust board member Rajkishore Mohapatra said: "The minister was chanting mantras when suddenly some people accompanying him took the pictures. We did not stop them as it would have disrupted the process of chanting of mantras."
