Bhubaneswar: Suars and Mahasuars, the servitors who cook mahaprasad in the Jagannath temple in Puri, continued their demonstration on Tuesday demanding compensation for the losses incurred due to wastage of the mahaprasad because of delay in temple rituals on Monday.

These servitors claimed that mahaprasad worth lakhs was wasted on Monday as it could not be offered to the Lords on time due to delay in rituals. Chief administrator of the temple P.K. Jena said: "We have requested the servitors to co-operate in the temple rituals."In another development, all the wasted mahaprasad stacked inside the temple had been buried, said temple administration sources.

On Monday, the rituals got delayed as the servitor supposed to perform the puja failed to turn up due to ill health. This led to delay in offering of morning mahaprasad to the deities and wastage of the afternoon mahaprasad.

Soon after, Suar and Mahasuar servitors staged a demonstration near the temple demanding compensation for the losses incurred by them.

The incident had its echo in the Assembly on Tuesday with Congress and BJP legislators staging a walkout in protest.

" The delay in performing rituals was due to gross neglect of those who are managing the temple affairs. The state government should take stern action against the errants," said Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra.

BJP MLA Pradip Purohit said: "The disruption of rituals has hurt the religious sentiments of the devotees. The state government should take the guilty to task".

However, BJD chief whip Amar Prasad Satpathy said: "The state government will take appropriate action at the appropriate time. But the Opposition should not drag Lord Jagannath into the controversy."