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The removal followed controversy over calling the site a "dham" and allegations of using leftover Puri temple timber

- AGENCIES

Mid controversies on whether the Lord Jagannath Temple at Digha in the East Midnapore can be described as "dham", the signage of "Jagannath Dham" has been removed from the site of the said temple.

Local Trinamul legislator Akhil Giri had claimed that the illuminated signage was a temporary structure that was raised for the purpose of the inauguration of the temple on 30 April.

"The signage has been removed after the inauguration. There is no other reason behind this development. Construction of a new gate of the temple named after Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is going on. The signage might be raised again after that," Giri said.

However, Leader of Opposition had claimed that the signage was removed after two controversies over the Digha structure, the first in relation to the structure being described as a "dham" and the second being charges of leftover timber meant for Puri's Jagannath temple being used to carve deities in Digha.

He claimed that the signage removal happened after it was clear that the adoption of unethical means to create a perception of equivalence between Puri and Digha had failed and those behind such attempts started feeling the heat.

The first controversy was in relation to why the Digha temple was referred to as 'Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre' as recorded by the implementation agency of the temple, the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO).

Legal brains felt that this was done deliberately to avoid controversies as regards constitutional obligations on spending public money from the state exchequer to construct or develop any religious structure.