Bhubaneswar: Union petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan, for the second time, targeted chief minister Naveen Patnaik for maintaining a stoic silence on the mysterious disappearance of the 25-inch brass key of the inner chamber of the treasury ( ratna bhadar) of the Jagananth temple in Puri.

On the other hand, the BJD leadership asked Pradhan not to indulge in politics over the issue and said the state government was serious on the issue.

The BJP, which had announced to launch a state-wide agitation beginning June 11, intensified its attack on the Naveen Patnaik government. Senior BJP leader and Union minister Pradhan said: "All the constitutional bodies, including the Supreme Court, Orissa High Court and even the governor, have expressed concern over the issue. In the name of setting up a commission, the chief minister is not even opening his mouth and uttering a single word on the issue. This is most unfortunate."

Pradhan accused the chief minister of knowing everything and having complete knowledge about who had the custody of the ratna bhandar key.

Reacting to the charges, BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Pratap Deb said: "Why should the chief minister open his mouth? The chief minister is there to work for the cause, and he is working in this regard. He had ordered for a judicial commission when others were kept quite. Without knowing the fact and figures, Pradhan seems to be groping in darkness." Deb asked the BJP leaders to refrain from doing politics over the issue.

In another development, referring to the Supreme Court's direction to form a committee to examine the management practices at major shrines in the country to prevent exploitation, law minister Pratap Jena said: "We will abide by the direction of the Supreme Court. We will provide all support in this regard." Besides, the temple administration said no servitors be allowed to take the donations given by the devotees to the Lord either in form of cash or kind. It also appealed the devotees to make their donations in the hundis.

However, the servitors have registered their protest against this. "Such an order will only create disturbances. The temple administration should tell what it is doing for the servitors, who are dedicating their lives for the cause of the Lord," said a senior servitor on condition of anonymity.