Heavy police deployment for inauguration of Jagannath temple in Bengal's Digha

Kolkata, April 25 (IANS) Digha, a seaside resort city in the East Midnapore district of West Bengal, will be wrapped under a thick blanket of security for three days, beginning April 28, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Lord Jagannath Temple.

On April 30, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend the inauguration programme on the occasion of Akshyay Tritiya.

The Chief Minister will reach Digha from Kolkata on April 28. On April 29, there will be a 'Mahayagna' (Havan).

According to the District Superintendent of Police (East Midnapore), Soumyadip Bhattacharya, 2,000 police personnel will be deployed for three days.

In addition to that, plain-clothed police personnel will also be deployed both at the temple complex and other important places of attraction in Digha for the three days.

There are possibilities for drone surveillance for the three days, especially on the day of the inauguration of the temple, which has been modelled after the iconic Shree Jagannath Temple at Puri in Odisha.

Specially trained and armed police commandos will be deployed on the temple complex. CCTVs have been installed in Digha to monitor the city.

At the same time, checking is being conducted at all exit and entry points of Digha, and each vehicle entering or coming out of Digha is being frisked thoroughly.

Controversies erupted over the Lord Jagannath temple at Digha, with the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, challenging the Chief Minister's claims that the temple has been modelled after the iconic Puri temple.

Adhikari has asked the Chief Minister to clarify why she named the temple 'Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre' and not 'Shree Jagannath Temple'.

"The Chief Minister should immediately give instructions so that the name is changed from 'Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre' to 'Shree Jagannath Temple' in all the related state government documents," he said.

--IANS

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