Can do nothing to repatriate Kohinoor: Queen Elizabeth II

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Puri, Nov 20:

British Queen Elizabeth II has clarified that she can do nothing to repatriate Kohinoor diamond to the Sri Jagannath temple in Odisha’s Puri.

A letter issued by Miss Jennie Vine, the Deputy Correspondence Coordinator, Buckingham Palace on behalf of the Queen has advised for contacting the United Kingdom government in this regard.

Miss Vine said currently Kohinoor diamond is under the authority of the British government.

She said the Queen as a constitutional sovereign, acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers of the UK government.

Since the Queen is neutral she cannot intervene on the Kohinoor issue, Miss Vine has added in the letter. She has advised to directly contact the UK government on the dispute over the jewel.

It may be mentioned here that Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled large parts of northern India in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, had willed to offer the Kohinoor to Lord Jagannath during his visit to Puri.

But before the famed gift could reach Puri, the Maharaja died.

The British colonial army after defeating Maharaja’s heir Duleep Singh in a battle looted the latter’s treasury.

Among other valuable ornaments, the colonial army took away the Kohinoor in 1849.

The British colonial army had presented the 105 carat famed diamond now adorning the crown of the British monarch to the then British Queen as a souvenir of its victory at the Lahore battle.

Notably, Jagannath Sena, a local religious outfit had written a letter to the British Queen in April this year requesting her to return the famed jewel to Lord Jagannath.