BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Supreme Court on Monday is set to hear a bunch of petitions seeking modification of its June 18 order, the Rath Yatra imbroglio took a precipitous turn with the Shree Jagannath Temple managing committee asking the State Government to either facilitate the festival by moving the apex court or bring an ordinance for the same.

With only a day remaining for the nine-day festival at Puri, sevayat (servitor) representatives of the Committee stated that after the ‘Agyanmala’ (order of the deities to ready the chariots for their journey) is taken out on Monday and the chariots are not stationed at Singhadwar, it would mean disruption of the Holy Trinity’s rituals. Talking to mediapersons, the representatives Ramchandra Das Mohapatra and Madhab Mohapatra stated that like there is no alternative to the Supreme Court order, the Rath Yatra has no alternative after the ‘Agyanmala’ is received.

“The Government should either move the Supreme Court seeking modification of its stay order or bring an ordinance to conduct the Rath Yatra,”they stated. The sevayats said the big question is whether the chariots will be brought to the front of the Singhadwar or not. “Once the chariots are stationed in front of the Singhadwar, there is no going back and Rath Yatra will have to be conducted. The Government has to take an emergent decision by considering all these aspects,” they stated.

Meanwhile, Shankaracharya of Puri Swami Nischalananda Saraswati on Sunday again alleged that there was a well-orchestrated plan to stall Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra this year amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. In a video message, the Shankaracharya said, “On June 20, the Supreme Court could have accepted the review petitions seeking modification of its June 18 stay order. There are precedents of the apex court taking up important cases even during vacations.”

Rajya Sabha MP and famous sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra, a member of the managing committee, alleged that the Supreme Court was given misleading information that there will be a congregation of 10-12 lakh people in Puri during the Yatra. State BJP president Samir Mohanty also called upon the Government to pay heed to the suggestions of Gajapati Maharaja and hold talks with Shankaracharya. State Congress President Niranjan Patnaik alleged the present situation has been created as the State Government failed to take any concrete decision re g a rding the Rath Yatra well in time.

A single-judge bench of Justice S Rabindra Bhatt will hear as many as 17 petitions seeking permission for the conduct of the annual car festival of Lord Jagannath at Puri. The BJP national spokesperson and 2019 MP candidate from Puri, Sambit Patra has also filed an application for clarification/modification of the order of the Supreme Court to allow conduct of Rath Yatra on June 23. “Hope all our prayers are answered by the Lord of the Universe,” he tweeted. Puri BJP MLA Jayant Sarangi has also written a letter to the Chief Minister for holding the Rath Yatra.