Ministers and Opposition leaders at an all-party meeting on the chariot climbing issue at the Assembly on Wednesday. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, June 18: A hurriedly convened meeting by Assembly Speaker Niranjan Pujari to find a solution to the contentious issue of debarring devotees from climbing onto the chariots during rath yatra failed to reach any conclusion.

The meeting decided that a committee would be constituted under the chairmanship of former law minister and Puri legislator Maheswar Mohanty to talk to all the stakeholders of the 12th century shrine to find an amicable solution to the said issue.

The other members of the committee will be the former chief administrator of Puri temple, Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, currently principal chief secretary of water resources department, special DG Sanjeev Marik, temple chief administrator Arvind Padhee and Puri Lok Sabha member Pinaki Mishra.

Law minister Arun Sahu will co-ordinate the meetings of the committee.

The Speaker had called a meeting of the leaders after members cutting across party affiliations had expressed concern over any decision on the sensitive issue in the state Assembly.

The lack of decision is fast snowballing into a controversy and this could have a serious effect on the forthcoming car festival. Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati had yesterday demanded an all-party meeting. Today, BJD MLA Samir Ranjan Das, too, reiterated the demand.

The meeting, which lasted for nearly an hour, saw the participation of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra, BJP state unit chief K.V. Singh Deo, agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy, food and civil supply minister Sanjay Dasburma, rural development minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati and CPM MLA Laxman Munda.

A detailed discussion was held on various aspects of the raging controversy. Considering the sensitiveness of the matter, no one was ready to reveal what exactly transpired at the meeting.

Later, law minister Arun Sahu read out a prepared statement saying that they have high respect for the Puri Shankaracharya and every one agreed that steps should be taken to ensure that the festival passed off peacefully.

“The new committee will hold talks with stakeholders and ensure that the rath yatra is conducted smoothly,” said Sahu.

Speaker Niranjan Pujari and leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra also spoke on the same lines.

Reacting to the statement, senior sevayat Jagannath Swain Dasmohapatra said: “The servitors will certainly welcome any debate on the issue. However, the Shankaracharya’s recommendation of banning devotees to climb the chariots is really unfortunate.”

He said until last year, they had facilitated a smooth darshan for Shankaracharya and his disciples on the chariots itself. “When they were touching the deities at that time no one had objected to it. Now the objection should not be raised on allowing the devotees to the chariots.”

Shankaracharya, whose opinion on the contentious issue was sought by the temple administration last year, had categorically stated that devotees should not be allowed to climb the chariots.

When the servitors opposed the move, a meeting was convened by the law minister Arun Sahu on June 11 and it was agreed that the devotees will not be allowed to climb the chariots during the day hours on the occasion of rath yatra and bahuda yatra (return festival).

On suna vesha (golden attire) day, the devotees can climb the chariots only after the dress is removed. On other days, the devotees can climb onto the chariots during day-time also.