Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the main Opposition party in Odisha, today targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for the delay in conducting inventory of ornaments and other valuables stored at Puri Jagannath temple Ratna Bhandar.

The Naveen Patnaik-led party even accused the BJP government in the state of looting valuables from the temple treasury.

“The BJP, in its manifesto for 2024 Assembly polls in Odisha, had promised a detailed inventory of the valuables of Ratna Bhandar. The government opened the temple treasury and relocated the ornaments to another room for renovation work. It shifted the valuables back to Ratna Bhandar after the completion of the repair work some days ago. But, the government is yet to conduct the inventory,” said BJD Rajya Sabha MP Subhashish Khuntia.

The Opposition party has asked the state government to conduct the inventory of the valuables of Ratna Bhandar at the earliest and reveal details before the people of Odisha.

“Any further delay in the inventory of Ratna Bhandar will make it clear that valuables have been looted from the temple treasury. The BJP government will be answerable to the people of Odisha,” Khuntia said.

The Rajya Sabha MP claimed that the previous BJD government in Odisha had written to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) several times seeking the required approval to open the Ratna Bhandar and conduct the inventory of its valuables. However, the central agency did not give its nod in this regard, he alleged.